Shane Lowry is enjoying his first taste of the atmosphere of professional team golf at the EURASIA CUP presented by DRB-HICOM but insists Europe will be all business when they tee off on Friday morning.
Captain Darren Clarke has brought a 12-strong team to Glenmarie Golf & Country Club in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur as Europe look to win the trophy for the first time following a dramatic 10-10 draw in the inaugural event in 2014.
Lowry is part of that team after a brilliant 2015 season which saw him win the World Golf Championships – Bridgestone Invitational and finish fifth in The Race to Dubai.
With the Olympics and The Ryder Cup to play for this year, 2016 could yet prove to be the biggest of Lowry’s career, while his team-mates in Malaysia will also be hoping to impress their Major-winning Captain as they target a place in his team at September’s showpiece at Hazeltine.
Shane Lowry: “The EurAsia Cup is a great tournament in its own right, so we want to play as well as we can and we want to try and win on Sunday. I’m pretty sure that the 12 of us will not be thinking anything about The Ryder Cup on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
“It’s a nice tournament to start the year, and hopefully we can start it well. It’s always a lot of fun playing a team event, and we’re having a great laugh in the team room. It’s just a nice environment to be in.”
Lee Westwood: “I think all the lads that are playing this week are great players in their own right, and they really don’t need much from me. They have played on a big stage before, maybe not so much team golf but I’m sure they have played a bit of team golf coming through the amateur ranks.
“You’re representing Europe, but you try to not let that thinking get in the way. You’ve just got to do your own thing, play your own game – the game that got you into the team – and hopefully that’s good enough to win you some points.”
Matt Fitzpatrick: “It seems like all the lads are enjoying it so far. That’s the big thing, you’ve got to go out there and play as well as you can but at the same time enjoy it. There’s been some great banter in the team room. I think everyone on the outside probably thinks we’re all so serious and really grim, but it feels like it’s been just one big laugh.
“I haven’t stopped laughing all day, playing with Willett, Lee and Poulter. I’ve really enjoyed it so far and it doesn’t feel like there’s much pressure, but I’m sure that’ll change on Friday.”
