IRELAND (AFP) — Sweden’s Vincent Norrman won the Irish Open as Rory McIlroy’s title bid fell apart in Sunday’s final round at The K Club.
Norrman hit a superb 65 to finish on 14 under par, one shot ahead of second-placed Hurly Long.
Former champion Shane Lowry was part of a four-way tie for third on 12 under.
Norrman was six shots behind overnight leader Long at the start of the round, but he fired six birdies in the space of eight holes from the seventh and then
two-putted the par-five 18th.
Long was briefly on the same score thanks to a birdie on the 12th, but bogeyed the next two holes and was unable to make an eagle on the last to force a play-off.
McIlroy had started the final round two shots behind Long, with birdies on the first and fourth holes giving him hope of victory.
But he found water on the seventh, 11th and twice on the 16th as he stumbled to a disappointing round of 74.
“It means everything,” Norrman said after his second DP World Tour title in two months following his triumph at the Barbasol Championship in July.
Lowry, who began the week facing questions about his Ryder Cup wild card after recording just one top-10 finish in 2023, recorded a third 68 of the week which featured a tap-in eagle on the fourth and four birdies.
