It is very difficult not to enjoy watching Shane Lowry play. He is quick, cheerful, creative, and extraordinarily natural. He approaches the ball, takes a couple of looks at the type of shot he wants to hit, and executes. No frills. That’s how he is on the golf course and that’s how he is off the ropes too. That’s why he’s so well-liked. He’s a breath of fresh air who delivers reality checks when he speaks as if he had a driver in his hand. “It seems you’re more interested in talking about drinking than golf,” he responds when asked to recreate the party he threw after winning the Open Championship at Royal Portrush in 2019. Lowry, for obvious reasons, is one of the big characters this week.
The Irishman doesn’t mind being identified as someone who wants and knows how to enjoy life, what bothers him is that everything else is forgotten. “Let people believe what they want to believe. My circle knows what I’m like. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy it from time to time, but I know when I need to put my head down and work. You can’t be at the highest level of any sport if you don’t apply yourself well, and I feel like I do,” he explains.
Lowry left some reflections in his media attention that are really interesting. It’s pure common sense. Definitely, listening to the big Irishman, it’s clear that McIlroy is right to be by his side.
On celebrating his victory at the Open Championship 2019… “Interesting question to start with, isn’t it? Here to talk about golf and all you want to talk about is drinking. Yes, I celebrated quite well. Golf is a funny game where you lose much more than you win, and I’ve always firmly believed that when you win, you need to try to celebrate those victories. So that’s what I did that night.”
On the pressure of playing at home both for him and Rory McIlroy… “I think that first tee that morning in 2019 was the most nervous I’ve ever been on the first tee of a tournament. All you want to do is put the ball in the fairway, and obviously Rory didn’t. I spoke to him a bit before that and he put a lot of pressure on himself, talking about it being the biggest tournament he was going to play and things like that. You live and learn. I’m sure he won’t do that this week. It’s a big event for all of us, the Irish. It’s huge. We go out and all we want to do is give ourselves a chance for the weekend. We’ve talked about it a few times, but not much. He doesn’t want to talk about what he did on the first hole.” (Rory started with a quadruple bogey).
On what happened in 2019, why everything clicked… “I’ve spent the last six years trying to figure that out. At the time I didn’t understand why, but if you look back, my results had been really good before the tournament. I missed the cut at the Masters, but I think I shot 5 over par in the first round of the PGA and finished eighth and 77 in the first round of the U.S. Open and finished like 20th or something. Then I finished second behind Rory in Canada. I had been playing quite solid all year. Then I came to a place I knew and loved and everything just clicked. Some people told me this week that in the practice rounds that week in 2019, they somehow knew I was playing really well and was ready for it. I wish they had told me then because I remember being quite nervous and tense about everything that week. I still don’t know why. You never really know why. I think as a golfer, that’s how I see it, I try to do the day-to-day things really well and then move on. Afterwards, hopefully, you get to some Sundays and have chances to win tournaments. I can’t control what I’m going to do next Sunday. I can only control what I’m doing here and now. There’s really no real answer. It just happened. I’m very lucky. I always consider myself quite lucky. I’ve done some good things in my career. No matter what happens, no one will ever be able to take away things like Baltray in 2009 (won the Irish Open as an amateur) and the Open in 2019.”
On the mural with his image that presides over the access road to Royal Portrush… “I’m happy to drive on the other side. I don’t have to pass by it every day… I didn’t know what to think at first and then when they did it people kept sending me photos. Everyone sends me photos. Everyone who comes here sends me photos standing next to the mural. Some of them I can’t say what they were doing (laughs), but it’s very special. I’ve done something special in my life.”
A bad round doesn’t have to be the end of the world (with a lot of humour)… “When Rory started here with his bad round everyone thought it was the end of the world. Rory makes 8 on the first and misses the cut. This is the end of the world. Golf will never be the same. However, afterwards, you move on and forget about it quite quickly. I think you realise that what you do today really doesn’t… it’s not the end of the world. It really isn’t. Just apply yourself as best as you can and then go out and give 100 per cent. That’s all you can do. As for my own mental preparation, I’ve had a couple of episodes this year where I haven’t been particularly well, but I feel like I’m quite good at going out there and competing against the best in the world week after week and giving myself the best chance. I’ve worked a bit on that over the years. I work a bit with Bob Rotella. I try to be ready when I go out to play. At Oakmont, for example, where I did very badly, I wasn’t ready for what was coming. Sometimes, honestly, when everything is going very well, I become complacent. Then suddenly, before I know it, I’m 3 over par through 5 and you panic and start doing well. When things aren’t going well is when I’m at my best, or when I don’t feel like things are going well. Like here in 2019. I had a meltdown on Wednesday because I thought I was going to play badly, but that focused me a bit more. If I can keep my complacency away and my expectations low, that’s when I’m at my best. How do I feel? I’ve felt great the last two days, so that’s not good. (Laughs). Seriously, I’ve had a great week. I’ve had a great practice week. I just need to play badly the next few days and I’ll be fine.” (Laughs).
On the weather at the Open… “What you have to do when you get to an Open is take what you’re given, accept it, and be the best you can be. That’s all you can do.”
On the importance of being positive in this sport… “I feel like I’m a better golfer than in 2019. I’m a better golfer than in 2019. But that doesn’t mean I’m going to go out and win by seven this year instead of six. It’s just golf; that’s how it is. As a golfer, you always have to look at the glass half full. You can’t look at it any other way. If you do, you’re going to be in trouble. So I try to look at it that way all the time.”
