McIlroy and Lowry Battle Through Six-Hour First Round at Amgen Irish Open

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry faced the most challenging conditions of their careers at the Amgen Irish Open, with the first round stretching to a record-breaking six hours.

The strong gusts up to 55km-per-hour made it difficult for players to maintain any rhythm, as balls oscillated on greens and players waited patiently for their turns.

McIlroy, who won the event at the K Club last year, shot a round of 69, finishing four shots behind course-record holder Joaquin Niemann. Lowry impressed with a share of second place after shooting a 67.

McIlroy acknowledged that this was his longest round ever: 'I can't recall a round of golf that's taken that long before.' He added that the conditions made it hard to get into any rhythm, and players had to wait for groups ahead to finish.