Sweden’s Vincent Norrman surged via the sphere to win the Horizon Irish Open as Rory McIlroy’s bid for a second victory within the occasion got here to a shambolic finish.
Norrman carded a flawless closing 65 at The Ok Membership to complete 14 beneath par and a shot forward of 54-hole chief Hurly Lengthy, with former champion Shane Lowry a part of a four-way tie for third on 12 beneath.
McIlroy started the ultimate spherical two behind Lengthy and birdied the primary and fourth both aspect of a 90-minute climate delay to share the lead, however discovered water on the seventh, eleventh and twice on the sixteenth as he stumbled to a 74.
Norrman began the day six behind Lengthy however made six birdies within the area of eight holes from the seventh after which two-putted the par-five 18th for one more to set the clubhouse goal on 14 beneath.
Lengthy was briefly on the identical rating due to a birdie on the twelfth, however bogeyed the subsequent two holes and was unable to make an eagle on the final to power a play-off.
“It means every little thing,” Norrman stated after his second DP World Tour title in two months, the primary coming within the co-sanctioned Barbasol Championship in July.
“It’s such a cool occasion to play, the followers have been unimaginable and I actually had a enjoyable week on the market. It was an extended wait (for everybody to complete) however I’m tremendous completely happy. I can’t consider this occurred. I’m over the moon.
“I used to be beginning off a bit so-so and I made two birdies and acquired a rain delay, had a espresso after which went out and flushed it.
“I knew there have been just a few possibilities on the market. I didn’t actually have a quantity in my head. I simply tried to press on with some birdie appears and saved just a few nice pars too to maintain the momentum going.”
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McIlroy, who lifted the trophy the final time The Ok Membership hosted the occasion in 2016, adopted his early birdies with a double bogey on the seventh and a bogey on the eleventh earlier than reviving his possibilities with a birdie on the thirteenth.
Nevertheless, the world quantity two then hit his second shot on the sixteenth into the water for the second day operating and amazingly flew his fourth shot from the drop zone over the inexperienced and into the identical hazard, finally getting up and down from a greenside bunker for a triple-bogey eight.
Lowry, who started the week dealing with questions on his Ryder Cup wild card after recording only one top-10 end in 2023, carded a 3rd 68 of the week which featured a tap-in eagle on the fourth and 4 birdies.
“It’s clearly a event that I might like to win once more,” Lowry, who was nonetheless an novice when he received in 2009, stated.
“I’m a bit upset now as a result of to be sincere I didn’t see a scoreboard for a very long time on the market. There was not many on the market and 13 beneath was nonetheless main once I acquired to the sixteenth inexperienced.
“I did my finest and it’s been a terrific week. The crowds have been unimaginable. It’s among the best Irish Opens I can bear in mind.
“All in all it’s been week for me and a step in the proper course and I’ll be again to defend my (BMW PGA Championship) title at Wentworth subsequent week, which is thrilling as effectively.”