An emotional Shane Lowry described how he had fought through the bad times, including leaving the Open last year at Carnoustie in tears, to win a brilliant first major championship in Portrush.

The 32-year-old Irishman, who shot a final-round 72 in brutally testing conditions to win by six shots from Tommy Fleetwood, also admitted that he felt like he was having an “out‑of‑body experience” coming up the 18th hole as thousands of fans cheered him on to glory.

“Golf is a weird sport and you never know what’s around the corner,” Lowry said. “I sat in the car park in Carnoustie, almost a year ago right to this week, and I cried. Golf wasn’t my friend at the time. It was something that become very stressful and it was weighing on me and I just didn’t like doing it. What a difference a year makes.”

Ireland’s Shane Lowry stays calm to win first major at the Open as rivals fade Read more

Lowry becomes the sixth Irish major champion – after Fred Daly, Padraig Harrington, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy and Darren Clarke – but he admitted to having nerves despite holding a four-shot leading going into the final round after blowing a chance to win the US Open at Oakmont in 2016.

“I slept for about four or five hours last night, and I normally throw a good eight or 10 hours at it,” he said. “So wake up in the middle of the night thinking about all sorts. And I was awake at half 6am.

“Obviously I had a nice healthy lead going out and I hit a ropey tee shot on the first. Then Tommy had a great chance of birdie and I was putting for bogey from eight feet. There’s a potential three-shot swing. He misses, I make, and there’s only one shot. That settled me an awful lot.

“I started to feel comfortable after 14. I felt like I was going to do it, especially after 14 when Tommy went double, I went bogey. But I went five ahead with four to play.

“I knew that I had to fight to the bitter end today, and that’s what helped me. And that’s where I struggled in Oakmont. I always said after Oakmont, if I could have got the last four holes back, I’d give anything to be standing on the 14th fairway again.”

Soon afterwards Fleetwood made a double bogey, and Lowry felt confident that he was going to win. “Honestly I feel like I was in an out-of-body experience,” the Irishman said. “I was so calm coming down the last. I couldn’t believe it. The crowd is going wild singing, “Ole! Ole!”

“I spotted my family when I walked around the corner and to be honest, I welled up a little bit and my caddy Bo told me to catch a hold of myself, I still have to hit a shot. Thankfully I hit a decent shot in there and two-putted.

“Earlier I told my caddie that I couldn’t stop thinking about winning, but he said: ‘Stay with me, stay with me,’ and kept on my back. What a job he did. I can’t wait to wake up tomorrow morning, and find out what it’s going to feel like then. It’s just going to be incredible!”

Lowry also said he had been persuaded that he could win the Open after having a coffee with his coach Neil Manchip on the eve of the tournament. He also paid tribute to Harrington and McDowell for helping him when he was a younger player.

No nerves this time for Shane Lowry as home crowd wills him to victory | Andy Bull Read more

“I used to curse them an awful lot in the past because that’s all anybody wanted to know about in Ireland because they were winning so many majors,” he joked. “When are you going to win one? Winning regular events wasn’t good enough for anyone.”

Lowry also admitted he had grown up wanting to win the Open – but it was only until deep in the final round that he thought he could do it. “Look, I’m Irish. I grew up holing putts back home to win the Open. It was always the Open, wasn’t it? I watched Paddy win his two Opens. I didn’t even know him back then. I’m obviously very good friends with him. To have him there on the 18th, like you go into Paddy’s house and the Claret Jug is sitting on the kitchen table, and I’m going to have one on my kitchen table, as well. I said that to him, as well, that’s going to be quite nice.”

When asked whether this could be a springboard for a future glories, Lowry started to smile. “Geez, let me enjoy this one,” he said to widespread laughter. “I can’t wait to wake up tomorrow morning, and find out what it’s going to feel like then. It’s just going to be incredible.”