The reception that Shane Lowry didn’t expect

The Champion at Royal Portrush in 2019 start with a card of 70

Hi Shane. Uh Shane, you were going around the country for the last Fortnite playing in some beautiful conditions and then you probably got the worst of it today. How difficult was today’s test? Yeah, it was hard. I mean um even I I I watched a bit of golf early this morning. I could see how even firm the golf course had gotten in the last day. Uh and yeah, I’ve played played a lot of golf around the country as you said the last few weeks and the weather’s been perfect and then you go out today. But, you know, I think I adapted pretty well and I think I played really well today. I was very happy with my day. Um, probably one or two shots, but, you know, I I think anytime you shoot one under par around poor rush in those conditions, I think is uh is decent. Yeah, putting was good and then holding that nasty one on the last and not a bonus, but it would have been a bit of a signer not to hold it. Yeah. Well, I wasn’t expecting to miss it. So, uh yeah, like it was nice to hold that one at 17 and then there’s I thought my second shot the last was actually better. Um and to come up and see myself with a 64, I was a bit disappointed. So um yeah, it was nice to to put that and uh get in, you know. Um obviously days like today, you can really play your way out of tournaments. So um nice to play my way into it today. What about the rest of your game? Yeah, everything was great. I’m happy like you know I’ve I’ve fought with this round of golf in my head for a few weeks now and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy and uh you know the first T- shot was not uh wasn’t that easy. I wasn’t I wasn’t feeling very comfortable there and I I felt like I managed handled myself very well and um all day I felt like I handled myself really well. Um crowds are amazing. Uh everything about it everything about this tournament has just been great and I tried to kind of use that as a as motivation instead of you know sort of sometimes you can you can put bit too much pressure on yourself and I tried to use it in a different way today and I felt like I did a good job with that. I say it’s mentally and physically fairly draining. Is it just get some food and rest up for the evening or tea time tomorrow? Yeah. Uh go home, watch some golf, have some dinner, and then you know, chill out tomorrow morning, come out here and try and do the same thing. And you know, we’re going to get challenging conditions over the next few days. And um like today, for example, the 11th hole, like it was the the worst hole to get the weather. We got it in, you know, and and we all really struggled and I I fortunately made a great puff for par, but um I think there’s going to be certain times in the tournament where that’s going to happen and you just need to kind of put your head down and battle through it and uh yeah, see where it leads you. A few tough pins close to the edges of greens. Was it Was it fair? Yeah. Yeah, it’s fair, but very tough pins. Yeah. Yeah. Like on slopes. Um but like not too not too unfair, but yeah, they were if you miss them on the wrong side, you’re in you’re in big trouble today. But you know, fortunately I didn’t do that too much. Shane, you got a great reception up 18 and I’m sure it must have brought full stands. It must have brought back some happy memories. Yeah, I actually wasn’t expecting 18 to be full with Rory out in the course. So, it was nice. The grand stand was full and yeah, nice reception walking down 18. It was pretty cool. And um there’s actually like you said, there’s extra little bit of pressure on that 5-footer. So, would have been disappointing to miss missed that, but I I uh yeah, like look, like I said, the crowd have been amazing all week. Um they were the last time we were here. And like I said, I’m trying to use it to my advantage. And anything underpower was gold out there considering I think so. I think so. Yeah. Like obviously you see some lads getting off the good starts and you know, obviously there’s a couple of good scores, but you know, four under four under is a really good score and I think anything under par is pretty good today. Jame, were you always going to hit driver off the way to the te? No, I I knew that where the wind was going to be and I’ve it was either that or my three and there was no chance I was hitting my forwood. So, um, I, uh, I wanted to keep something down out the wind. And to be honest, I watched a lot of golf this morning. Like, you seen Patty hit a good T- shot and he had two iron in. Uh, so I was like, biggest head in the bag. Give it a rip. Thankfully, I went straight. Jane, obviously the rounds are over five hours. You managed to keep a good rhythm going. Is it comfortable when you’re with someone like Scotty? You think you’re talking quite a lot? Yeah, we had a good day out there. I felt like um, yeah, he’s he’s a nice person to be around. He’s a good obviously a great player. Uh it’s unbelievable how well he manages his way around the golf course and how the scores he shoots. Um it’s just incredible what he does with the ball. So um even when you look at him and it looks like he’s after hitting a bad shot, it doesn’t go in a bad spot. So it’s uh but yeah, it was a nice day out there. Obviously Colin didn’t have his best stuff, but um yeah, it was nice. How many tops did you have in your bag? I had a good few. Yeah, three. Darn. Darn it’ll sleep well tonight. But yeah, it’s uh yeah, there was a lot cuz it was cold and then it got warm and then it got wet and yeah, I threw it with me. So, which birdie which put felt bigger, the the 11th or the 17th? 11 was huge to kind of keep momentum going around. Obviously 13 was a bit disappointing. I got the I played the the wind wrong with my T- shot. Um and uh made a bad bogey there. But uh yeah, 11 was huge to to hold post like that for par is big, you know, cuz um standing on the tea, you’re you’re praying for a par. That’s all you’re trying to do. Um is nearly playing like a par five. So yeah, that was pretty big. You said that the last time out was probably one of the most nervous you’ve been on the first te. Were you more nervous this time? That was up there with that as well. I was I put that up there with first se Rder Cups for me. It was uh yeah, it was I was fighting with that all morning this morning and um you know it’s going to be all right for the rest of the week. I just wanted to get my my tournament underway and uh you know I want so much honestly obviously I want so much to do well in this tournament. I want so much to give myself a chance on Sunday and you can’t do that without hitting a good first T-shot and I knew I needed to do that and um we all know the dangers that first go can throw at you. So I was happy to get it away. What do you do in the few hours to prepare yourself that first t-shot when you’re watching Potter? It was more it was more like last night. Um like I said to Neil last night, we went for a little walk. And I I said uh once I get up and get moving and get going, you kind of your routine kicks in and you don’t even think about it. You know, you leave at certain times and you you eat and you have whatever at certain times. And um obviously I get up this morning, I want to get up I go up like a half an hour early. I want to see Patty his uh hit the first T- shot. I was very happy for him that it went straight. Um I’m sure he was fighting with that for a few days as well. So uh yeah, had a coffee and watched that and then um yeah, just got going after that. Once you once you get once you drive to the course, honestly, routine just kicks in. Um but I’d say the boys will tell you I was probably a little bit quiet this morning and not really myself. So um I’m happy that round of golf is over with and I’m looking forward to the rest of the week. You mentioned the guys who got to four under even on a Thursday. Are you having a look at the leaderboard to see what’s a good score out there? Do you know yourself? To see what’s happening like not really Yeah. and kind of see what a good score is. Like you can see pretty quickly that like level power one under is like once you’re around that it’s not bad. Um and then obviously you see like you know who’s playing well or whatever. You know it’s nice to see you know Westy up there Mafford’s pass playing well. So just just things like that but I’m just like you say out there for nearly six hours you’re passing time really you know standing around watching scoreboards seeing what’s going on. So yeah, thank you.