Rory McIlroy claims Shane Lowry has a key advantage over most of the field at the Irish Open

Shane Lowry dominated proceedings on Friday at the Irish Open to storm into the lead.

He mastered the windy conditions at Trump International, shooting a course record 62 and taking a three-shot lead going into the weekend.

Lowry is a master of the links, having won an Irish Open and an Open Championship in the past. He looks very much at home at his national open as many have struggled to conquer the conditions.

There’s good reason for that, as Rory McIlroy says Lowry has an advantage over the entire field because of one of the big strengths of his game.

Lowry grew up in Ireland, and is rarely fazed by difficult weather when out on the golf course. That’s why he’s been able to separate himself from the field through two days of the Irish Open.

McIlroy took some time after Friday’s play to speak about Lowry’s prowess in the wind: “He believes he’s a good player in windy links conditions, so I think that’s half the battle is believing that you are or knowing that you are.

“I think he feels like he has an advantage when the conditions are like that. And that’s the way he sees the game. He sees the game with that flight. He doesn’t really hit the ball up in the air that often, he usually flights it a lot, even when it’s in calmer conditions.

“So I just think that this type of golf suits the way he likes to see the game and then I think it gives him that little bit of extra belief that he can handle it better than most.”

Lowry will be hoping these conditions keep up so he can grow his lead on Saturday. He’d be a fitting winner for the event.

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