Shane Lowry can make a swift start to his Ballyliffin quest

Sky Sports Golf, 10.30am Thursday
Tournament starts 7.30am

Shane Lowry will have to achieve some monumental feats if his victory in the 2009 Irish Open as an amateur is going to be eclipsed for unbridled joy and memories of that success will come flooding back at Ballyliffin this week.

And there is a decent chance that he will be able to get off to decent start at the Glashedy Links in County Donegal.

Lowry has not been shaking up many leaderboards lately - he hasn't posted a top-ten this year - but he has made the cut in all but one of his last eight tournaments, and that missed weekend came at the ultra-tough US Open.

He played well for three rounds at the French Open last week - a Friday 75 contributed to him finishing five shots behind winner Alex Noren - and he can oblige for threeball punters against Thomas Pieters and Lee Westwood (1.30pm Thursday).

Pieters is desperate to fight his way into Thomas Bjorn's Ryder Cup plans after starring as a rookie at Hazeltine two years ago, but the Belgian has little good form on links tracks and may not adapt well on his debut at the course, with which Lowry is familiar.

Westwood, meanwhile, withdrew from the French Open last week after a month out of action.

He finished fifth at his last completed tournament, the Italian Open, but he has broken 70 in just one of his last eight opening rounds at the Irish Open and it would not be a surprise if it takes him a while to get into the swing of things.

Recommendation
S Lowry to win threeball
2pts 6-4 Betfair, Paddy Power

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