Photos: Shane Lowry through the years

View photos of Shane Lowry throughout his career.

As an Irishman, Shane Lowry is living the dream.

With a win at the 148th Open Championship in 2019, Lowry will never again have to buy himself a pint in his home country.

Before turning professional, Lowry saved his best amateur play for last as he won the 2009 Irish Open, making him just the third amateur ever to win on the European Tour. Lowry quickly turned pro the following week but did not officially join the PGA Tour until 2015

In August of that year, Lowry took home his first PGA Tour victory at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational. A four year winless drought was ended at the 2019 Open Championship which has proved to be a spark for Lowry in majors. In his next nine majors, Lowry tallied two top-five finishes and finished inside the top 25 six times.

A mainstay on the top page of the leaderboard nearly every week (major or not), Lowry continues to be one of the best European players in the game.

Nike’s limited-edition British Open footwear is inspired by dartboards

The limited-edition Air Max 90 G, Air Zoom Infinity Tour and Air Zoom Victory Tour take their cues from the popular “19th hole” activity.

For the past few seasons, Nike staff players have received special, limited-edition versions of the company’s footwear to use during major championships. These shoes are given themes, often that match the venues where the tournaments are being played. So, while this year’s Masters theme was using recycled materials, during the recent PGA Championship at Kiawah in May, some players’ shoes had a seersucker pattern of light blue and white.

This week, with the British Open taking place at Royal St. George’s Golf Club in Sandwich, England, Nike has created three more limited-edition versions of its Air Max 90 G, Air Zoom Infinity Tour and Air Zoom Victory Tour 2 shoes. The theme is games played in pubs, taprooms and the “19th hole” in England. That means darts, pool and snooker. The shoes are below, and as you can see, they are trimmed in cork to commemorate the dartboards and green to represent the felt of a pool table.

Prince Andrew’s public exile includes patron roles at Royal Portrush, Royal Liverpool

At least two clubs have distanced themselves from Prince Andrew in the wake of his reputed involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein scandal.

Royal Portrush Golf Club, site of this year’s British Open in July, is considering seeking a new patron after Prince Andrew stepped back from public life and his royal duties in the wake of his reputed involvement in the Jeffrey Epstein sex-abuse scandal.

The Daily Telegraph reported that Royal Portrush plans to discuss the Duke of York’s involvement at the club in Northern Ireland at its next meeting. His patron role at Royal Portrush was largely as a publicity figurehead.

“The allegations surrounding Prince Andrew, and especially the trauma and distress suffered by the victims of Jeffrey Epstein is a matter of deep regret,” the club said in a statement obtained by the Daily Telegraph. “Royal Portrush will continue to monitor the ongoing investigative process. There are no scheduled plans for him to return to the club.

“The council of Royal Portrush is acutely aware of the widespread public concern about these allegations, and Prince Andrew’s decision to step away from public duties will be discussed at our next meeting.”

Prince Andrew, Duke of York (center) watches the third round of the British Open at Royal Portrush on July 20, 2019. (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Prince Andrew also has ties to Royal Liverpool Golf Club, host site for the 2022 British Open. The Daily Telegraph also reported that club will “not call upon” Andrew’s services during his exile.

Andrew is also a member of the R&A, the ruling body for golf in much of the world and the organization that puts on the British Open. The R&A would confirm only that he was a member to the Daily Telegraph. Andrew was captain of that club in 2003 during its 250th anniversary.

USA TODAY reported that Virginia Roberts Giuffre has repeatedly said she was groomed by Epstein and his associates to sexually service Epstein’s powerful friends, including Prince Andrew, when she was a teen. Andrew has denied the accusation, but he announced Wednesday that he was halting his public duties because “my former association with Jeffrey Epstein has become a major disruption to my family’s work.”

“Therefore, I have asked Her Majesty if I may step back from public duties for the foreseeable future, and she has given her permission,” Queen Elizabeth II’s second son said in a statement released Wednesday by Buckingham Palace.

USA TODAY also reported that Andrew’s resignation comes on the heels of a recent controversial interview with the BBC in which he said he doesn’t remember meeting Giuffre, despite a picture of the two, he with his arm around her waist, that has been floating around the internet since at least 2011.

“Our clients welcome Prince Andrew’s decision to withdraw from public life as a member of England’s royal family,” read a statement to USA TODAY from Sigrid McCawley and the law firm Boies Schiller, which is representing Giuffre and other women. “It is a positive first step towards taking responsibility for his actions.”

USA TODAY also reported that as Andrew’s connection to Epstein made headlines in recent months, corporate sponsors started to pull their support and distance themselves from the prince’s Pitch@Palace networking initiative, which connects entrepreneurs with various business leaders. Companies that have ditched Andrew include Cisco Systems, KPMG and AstraZeneca.