Shane Lowry has arrived at the Club de Campo Villa de Madrid with a fresh smile and a steadier pulse at last. Or so it seems. It’s not easy to change gears just days after a Ryder at Bethpage that will be etched “for life”. “You switch back to tournament mode, you wake up tomorrow and it’s time to compete in a great national championship with so much history,” he summarises. It’s his life. Even so, he admits the emotional toll of the journey: “You come from a huge high and I’m not going to lie: it can be hard to return to ‘normal’ tournaments. But in the end, you’re a competitor and you always want to be your best version”.
The key to that return is found in two aspects. The first, Madrid, and the second, his word. A man of honour. “I was already committed to coming and I’m honoured to fulfil it. Madrid is an incredible place and it’s a great tournament. It’s better to get back on the horse quickly than to stay at home overthinking,” he concedes.
Lowry doesn’t shy away from the scene that has somewhat forever changed his dimension as a golfer. Or at least, it has added a new one: that last putt of his duel against Russell Henley with Bethpage roaring. “I knew how big it was. You’re hoping he misses while trying to read yours and you can’t fully commit until he does. When he did, I went into my routine. We had talked a lot about how tough that environment is. It was one of the hardest things I’ve had to do on a course… and it went in”. He recounts it with a mix of relief and vertigo, the same that leads him to gauge the magnitude of what he experienced: “For how I had built it up in my head and how much I worked for that week at Bethpage… for me, it was even above the Open”.
Precisely, speaking of that moment, there is one person who comes to mind. “Honestly, Olazábal is the best man I’ve ever met,” he pronounces slowly, as if placing a medal. “The hardest part of the 18th putt was looking and seeing him sitting at the front of the green, crying. You feel the weight of history: Seve, all that it means. Having him there and him hugging me after sinking it was incredible. And the relationship with Jon that I’ve built over these years… I think as a team Bethpage brought us much closer; afterwards, we were like brothers. That was something wonderful about the whole week”.
The Irishman had the opportunity this Wednesday to lower his heart rate by playing nine holes in the ProAm with Carlos Alcaraz. “I told him his golf isn’t incredible, okay, but it’s much better than my tennis. Spending a couple of hours with him, with what he’s already achieved at such a young age, was great”. Between celebrations —“a few bottles of wine and champagne fell with Luke and Rory”—, Lowry insisted on changing the mindset in time: “When it all ends, you look to the future: this week, the next, and keep going”.
Lowry praises the decision of Augusta and the Royal & Ancient to grant a spot for the Masters and the Open through the Open de España. “They’ve done well to put them on that pedestal: if you win here, you’re in. They’re among the best in our sport”. And when the conversation turns to 2031, he smiles again: “The Ryder in Spain will be a success. Beautiful venue, easy logistics, Barcelona very close and the best fans: the European ones”.
Shane arrives with a full tank of emotions, but with the compass well-oriented: to compete. And with an anchor that doesn’t leave his mind: that hug with Olazábal at the foot of the 18th. If he needed a reason to ignite again at the Open de España, he has it. Now it’s time to see if the echo of Bethpage can also become a roar at the Club de Campo. This Thursday and Friday, he will feel the Spanish fans playing with Ángel Hidalgo and Jon Rahm.
