& # 039; I & # 039; m not a robot & # 039; – Lowry to bed & # 039; thinking of keeping Claret Jug & # 039;
& # 39; This is glorious stuff & # 39; – Lowry lights up Open with eight-birdie 63
Shane Lowry admitted he went to bed "thinking about holding the Claret Jug" on Sunday after finishing the third round of The Open with a four-shot lead.
The Irishman is 16 among them after winning a sensation natural record of eight-under 63 in Royal Portrush on Saturday.
Tommy Fleetwood of England is second to 12 under, while American JB Holmes is two shots further back in the third.
"It's only natural isn't it?" Said Lowry. "We are human, we are not robots, we cannot think of things."
He added: "And when you try not to think about something, you end up thinking more about it, so you might as well talk about it.
" I'm going there not sitting in the house on Sunday morning trying not to think about the coming day. I'll talk about it. "
The Open 2019: Shane Lowry struggles with recording a great third round
The 32-year-old also held a four-shot lead after three rounds of the US Open at Oakmont in 2016, but a final collapse saw him drop out and Dustin Johnson claim the win.
"I learned a few things that day about playing the last day in a big one with a head start," he said. "I'm a different person now, that's what will help me."
"I have certain things in my life that make it different. I now have a family. No matter what I shoot on Sunday, my family will wait for me."
Lowry it just couldn't be equivalent to the record of Branden Grace for the big championship of 62, two years ago in The Open at Birkdale, when he missed a putt by an inch on the 18th green.
He was roared by a crowd of partisans and he thought: "Walking from the green to the next tee, people are roaring literally a meter away in your face.
" I thought that I dealt well with it and hopefully will do the same on Sunday. "
Home Trio Rory McIlroy, Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke were tipped to do well on the Dunluce links on the Northern Irish coast, but only McDowell made the cut and is in two after a third round of 68.
"I felt like I could come here and get under the radar – I'm not completely under the radar anymore," Lowry adds
Weather can play a role
Fleetwood, Holmes & Koepka in best photos from day three
Lowry will play with Fleetwood in the final group on Sunday and the pair will turn off at the earlier than scheduled time of 13:47 BST due to a forecast of wet and windy weather.
"Tommy grew up in Southport, he is previously played in bad weather and bad conditions," Lowry said. "JB Holmes flies beautifully, he is pretty good, Brooks (Koepka) is also there.
" There is a good ranking behind me. We will see what happens. "
Fleetwood, 28, shot a five-under-66 to follow the rounds of 68 and 67 and is two shots ahead of Holmes.
" There are times when you get your nerves and there are critical moments that you need to address, "said Fleetwood.
" I handled them fairly well this week. The weather will be pretty rough, but I will be pretty happy no matter what.
"We will see what happens, but Sunday will be special and very loud. It will be a challenge to stay focused all day, but I would not do otherwise."
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