SHANE LOWRY vowed to go one better the next time he is in the hunt for a Major after leaving Oakmont “bitterly disappointed” at chucking away a four-shot lead.
The Irishman stood head and shoulders above the rest after three rounds at the world’s toughest course only to allow Dustin Johnson to claim a three-shot win.
Lowry had birdied the 12th to put him back in the hunt after American Johnson was told he could be with a one-stroke penalty – but three straight bogeys from the 14th shattered his dream.
Yet a heartbroken Lowry insisted he will bounce back and claim one of the game’s big four trophies next time he is in position.
He said: “It caught up with me on 14. Really bad streak there, obviously on 15 and 16 as well.
“To do that, at that time in the tournament – the more I think about it, the more upset I get.
“I’m bitterly disappointed. It’s not easy to get yourself in the position I was in. It was there for the taking and I didn’t take it.
“But you can only learn from your mistakes. I always say it’s only a mistake if you don’t learn from it.
“I’m sure I learnt a lot and I don’t know what it is yet, but when I’m in that position again – and I know I will be – I’ll handle it better.”
World Golf champion Lowry ended in a tie for second on one under par with Americans Jim Furyk and Scott Piercy.
That was three behind Johnson, who was ultimately hit with a penalty after he was deemed to have caused his ball to move on the fifth hole.
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The big-hitting American, who three-putted the last green at Chambers Bay in 2015 to gift Jordan Spieth his second straight Major, was initially cleared of any wrongdoing.
But USGA officials made the ridiculous move of telling him on the 12th tee that he could be hit with a penalty after his round was over.
Uncertainty ruled over the closing holes but Lowry is adamant he was not put off.
He added: “We were told about Dustin on the 12th. It didn’t affect the way I played.
“If anything I credit Dustin for playing the way he played on the way in, having that hanging over him, because I probably would have wanted to know straightaway if it was me.
“I had a great number on 14 but hit a really poor shot and it spiralled out of control from there.”
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