Shane Lowry recreates his iconic moments from The Open victory in 2019

Ahead of The 153rd Open at Royal Portrush this week, HSBC Global Ambassador Brian O’Driscoll caught up with the 2019 Champion and fellow Irishman, Shane Lowry.

The pair delve into Shane’s historic victory and create some of the iconic moments that made him the Champion Golfer of the Year in 2019.

#HSBCgolf #TheOpen #golf

Ah, Brian, who’s in the heart of it. Any chance you can get a refund and not put her? Hi, I am Brian o Driscoll, and today I am at Royal Port Rush with HSBC. Now, the last time the Open championship was held here in 2019, Ireland’s zone, Shane Lowry took home the Claret Jug. In doing so, he made history as only the fifth Irishman to win the open and on home turf. Today, Shane returns to the course that changed his career, and we’re gonna recreate a couple of his most iconic shots from that week. Brian, there he is. How are you? How are you doing? Great to see you. Good to see. Oh, good. Yeah. Good. Alright. Excited to be back. Yeah, It, it is. Um, it’s, it’s my second line back since 2019, so yeah. Only The second time. No wait. Yeah. Only the Second time. And obviously the first time with grandstand, so like, so many memories, like, it’s, it’s incredible. Okay, well let’s go down and, uh, we’re here on the eighth. Yeah. You so many like amazing shots for you to remember, right? Yeah. But there have to be a couple that really stand out and this kind of feels like one of the ones that was like, okay, I’m, I’m here to play. Yeah. Uh, ’cause I remember on, on, on Thursday, I, I played, I didn’t think I played great on Thursday, right? Mm-hmm. I shot four under, and then I come in and as the day went on, I was leading the whole day. And then I remember JB Holmes Birdie the last to take the lead from me. And, uh, but I was obviously then I was like, oh, I’m actually playing all right this week, you know? Yeah. Because you’re gonna get a feeling. And then Friday I opened up incredibly, well, I was 600 through 10 and I birdied this hole. Uh, I hit an unbelievable shot in here, pretty close. Uh, so yeah, like there’s so many shots that come back, and then I didn’t finish the round on Friday very well, but, uh, yeah, the first 10 holes on Friday, I just was like, I was like in the zone and then I kind of got in my own way a little bit. Okay. Uh, But that actually helped me on Saturday afternoon when I started to go well again. And you were on, I Just kept growing. Yeah. Yeah. So, And when does that momentum, like, I’m always intrigued to understand, you know, home turf. Is it, does it help or hinder, you know, when you have that level of support because it’s, it’s crazy expectation and they’re there for you, but that adds so much hype to, to you? Or do you feel that you Do, it’s the greatest thing in the world when you’re playing Well. Mm. I’m sure you can relate to this. Mm-hmm. But when things are not going your way, it’s quite difficult. Um, but yeah, like to have however many thousand people here, you know, cheering you on, it was almost like the, I actually always remember a roar. I hold along, put on 10 on Friday, and, uh, the green on 10 is kind of down and the crowd kind of sits up over the green on the banks. And I, I’ll always remember that roar. Yeah. Like, honestly, I’ll always remember that one. So the crowd does drag you along, but it, it, there is a lot of pressure comes with it, but I dealt with it very well that week. You know, a lot of people. Right. So are you people picking people out in the audio in the crowd through, or are you like, like totally, you know, in your zone focused? I saw the hands are in the pockets the whole time. So I, I don’t actually like, so at, at the Irish Open a few years ago, good few years ago, uh, I used to give people like high fives when you walking green to tea. Mm-hmm. I remember this guy, I, I went to High five A fell out like, and he grabbed my hand like, like a handshake and like really tight and it kind of hurt me a little bit. So I, I don’t do it anymore. Is That a, you don’t do a full stop, right? You only give someone, like, you know, someone gives you knuckles and you get like a knuckle on your Yeah. Yeah. It’s kind of like, I’ve got to go and hit a shot here, so I already did it. So Yeah. Hands in my pockets. Uh, going to the, I actually remember one moment that week, it was on the, it was on the Sunday and I was on 16, and I could see my friends up on the hill on the left, my friends from home that I grew up with. Mm-hmm. And like, they were celebrating, like it was already over. And I’m like, and I know I had a, I had a five shot lead at that, it might have been six at the time, so it probably was already over, but I, I wasn’t allowing myself to think that, you know what I mean? But, um, yeah. But do you have to, do you have to stop yourself in the middle of the round, uh, like feeling the emotion of that of your friends and they’re there and you’re like, this could be like before that you close it out. Like you realize the enormity of how big this could be. What is it shot by shot or deal, you know, do you allow yourself Think you try and go back to shot by shot? Yeah. You really do. Yeah. You try and just go back to, uh, one shot at a time. Yeah. Like the born all cliches. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, because it is like very high pressure, but, um, there’s no doubt about it. The morning of it and the night before, especially like that Saturday and Sunday morning, you realize what this is like, can You eat breakfast? Uh, I struggled that day. I don’t normally struggle to eat. You do Now look at you lean Smell to you. You knew wardrobe. Yeah, I, uh, I, yeah. Really struggled. And even on the course, I remember Bo saying to me, you know, you need to eat something. I’m like, I can’t. I’m physically sick. Like, yeah. I was like, it’s honestly, uh, and even like, you know, go, I spoke to Rory after the masters about, and he says he never wants any part of that 15 tee box ever again. Yeah. It’s, it’s, it’s an amazing place to be. Yeah. But it’s also like, like, not that I don’t, I want it again this year, but that first tee box on Sunday was one of the worst places I’ve ever been. Right, right. You know, it’s kind of, it’s, it’s a daunting place. Do you, but do you have, now that you have that major in the bag, do you, obviously, I’m sure you’ve got huge aspirations for more and that’s what, you know, high achievers are like, they’re never like, happy with just, it’s like Right. You get a taste for it and you’re like, I I need more of this. Yeah. When you come back here because of your success, do you look at this and go, this is such an unbelievable opportunity for me to repeat it again? Or what’s, what’s your kind of mindset coming in? Is it a free shot? How, how do, how do play It? Yeah. I haven’t quite figured it out what way I’m gonna deal with the week. You know, we’re a couple of weeks out now and, and I’ll definitely, there’ll be a lot of talk with me and like my coaches and stuff about what I need to do and what way, way I need to deal with the week because, you know, there is a part of me coming that I, I can come back and write, let’s try and enjoy it as best I can, but at the end of the day, I want, I want to perform. And whether we’re playing the opening in Royal Port, rush Royal St. Andrews, I wanna come to the open and I wanna do well. Mm-hmm. I wanna give myself a chance to win. So, um, like I do know the place, well, there’s gonna be a lot of expectation that weeks, but it’s just up to me to deal with it properly. I’ve been playing great golf this year, so, um, I feel like I’m in a good position to come and do well again. Uh, but it’s, it’ll be all about me just staying outta my own way and my own head that week and, and getting it right. Does a major win kind of open up this kinda next opportunity for you to progress? Because, you know, it’s one thing winning one major, but being a multiple winner Yeah. Winning major and not to belittle a winning major, right? Yeah. But I, but to be, to, you know, to, to achieve 2, 3, 4, you know, you must be aspirational to try and get Yeah. I, I always, I always say, and, and look, it’ll probably be a case I always said, I just want one more. That’s all I want. Yeah. I’m not asking for much, but, uh, I’m, I’m sure if I get one more, I’ll want one more after that, you know, until I’m retired. But, uh, yeah, like one more would be very, very sweet. Uh, I’ve had a couple of chances since mm-hmm. Uh, not quite got the job done, but I think you just need to keep putting yourself, they’re, they’re hard to win, you know? Mm-hmm. You get four, four chances a year and everybody’s coming gunning to win. It’s, it’s, uh, so to have one and like, even I, I did a thing this morning. I was on the 18 green first time I kind of stood on the 18 green looking around at grandstand since I’ve been here in 2019. And I’m like, you know what, thinking back on what I’d done that year, no matter what happens the rest of my career, I’ll always have that. That’s a very, Very lovely, it’s so lovely to have that, right? Yeah. It really is because it’s such a, um, a like a, a great moment for you, but for, for everyone here, I don’t think about it that much. Honestly. I, I don’t really like, my car Jug is a home in, in one of the rooms in my house and it’s actually a room that I never really go into. So I never really see it. And I honestly, I don’t think about it that much anymore. But when you come back here, it brings back memories and I’m like, Jesus. Like no matter what I do for the rest of my career, like this is a very, very cool thing to have. When was the last time you had a drink from it? Oh, it was 2019. Was it? Yeah. Yeah. 2019. Yeah. You’re getting out for Sunday dinner? No, no, no, No. Uh, yeah. I’d hate to think what the bottom of it is like. Okay. Alright. Listen, we’re gonna try and recreate your shot. Coincidentally, it’s HS BBC’s hundred 60th anniversary as well. Would you believe it’s hundred 60 yards? This shot? Okay, let’s go. There you go. Are you someone that’s encyclopedic about, you know, particularly the good shots? Do you remember them all? Yeah. Yeah. You remember? Well, this is not a shot that I would’ve remembered too. Well, but then when you tell me about it, I’m like, oh yeah, I remember that one. Well, let’s, let’s, uh, jog your memory. Okay. Handly, we’ve got this shot from one 60. Lemme try. And, okay, here it is. So Yeah, so the wind’s in out right is raining a little bit at the time. Just It’s like, like a three quarter, three Quarter held off, seven iron Held up against that. Right to left. Yeah. Yeah. There wasn’t much wind as you can see, but yeah, it was hit in pretty close, but, uh, it was a shot, a shot that would suit my shape. Yeah. But you can see off the up slope. I just kind of held it off a little bit. Um, yeah. Okay. Shows it again then It’s a little bit different today. Yeah. Okay. Uh, Whatcha you hitting? Whatcha are you playing? It’s downwind. So is it, I’m gonna hit nine iron today. Uh, I’m not sure how this is gonna go, but we’ll give it a go. Oh, It’s right. It is all over it. Like, my eyes can’t tell you. Is It too far? It’s got I Tinder. It’s gone too far. Yeah. Is it? Yeah. Yeah. That was my first shot at it. It, but I never left. It literally never left the flag Flag. I am, uh, I’m getting old now. I need to warm up More. Yeah, fair. Okay, fair. I honestly think, I honestly think it could be a wedge for You. Do you reckon? Yeah. Um, Smooth nine. Okay. I flushed it. What a shot. Oh, Get down. Can’t see what’s the Too much as well. Yeah, it’s past it as well. It was closer than my one. I think that was nice. That was your first shot today as well. See, there’s a proper athlete, proper retired athlete there. All righty. Alrighty. I’ll take it. Um, and then the week of an open here, you know, do you, you you rent a house, will you go back to the same house for Instance? No, I don’t. I have a different house this year. Do you? Yeah, Yeah, yeah. Upgrade. I Know how to say that, but Yeah, it’s not too up to Then this one, We actually had a lovely house in Bush Mills the last time on the river, but, uh, no, a different house this year. Uh, I’ve more of a crew, so I need a bigger house. Yeah, okay. Okay. And what, and how much, like you, you know, you, we come from a team sport, but you now it’s like, so team orientated around getting yourself right? Yeah. Nutritionist, trainers, physios. So it’s like, it’s, it’s such a key component. It’s high level sport. Yeah. And I mean, you, you know what it’s like, it’s, uh, it, it can be a lonely sport, so I feel like it’s important to surround yourself with the right people. And I feel like I’ve done a great job of doing that. Alright, so Here you’re with your new putter? Yeah. Oh, Scotty. Cameron, if you’ve, if, if you’re asking, uh, alright, what are you thinking here? It goes like right to left down the slope. Yeah. And then the wind will move it back. It’s definitely left right at the end. Oh my gosh. Gave it a good rattle anyway. Yeah. Gave it a serious rattle that got it. Got a bit, Just the pace in the line other than that was perfect. Alright, Well I’ll take the flag out for this one. This is obviously right to left. Okay. Come on, Brian. Now make, make up for it. Ah, Brian, who’s in the heart of it. Any chance you can get a refund on that putter? Uh, alright. My first three stab of the day. It won’t be the last, I promise you. Uh, that’s funny. I, I’m interested to know like when you’ve been there and done it, how do you stay hungry for kind of that next opportunity? What’s, what’s the driving force? Um, that’s a good question. Like, I, I think in golf there’s always like, there’s always something else to achieve. Like, you know, even you always try and set yourself like little wins like week to week and then like you set yourself big wins. And then obviously, you know, the biggest of wins, which is like, you know, majors, you know, and then for me it’d be Ryder Cups. So I, I do feel like, and it, and it’s the, it’s just the, the enjoyment I get from it, you know? Like I actually love the day to day life of practicing. Do you? Yeah, I do. Yeah. Do You, yeah. Is that, is that something you’ve learned? I know Any difference Of or did have or have you, have you always had that? I’ve probably learned a love it over the years, but I don’t know any different now, you know what I mean? I, I I just get after it and I, uh, yeah. And then I, and I do think like when you’ve achieved something like this, I think that carrot dangling there of doing that again is like, I’ll always be chasing that. And it’s funny, I have a, my cousin played Gaelic football for Dublin mm-hmm. And won dollar on a medal. Uh, and he said to me after the opening, he says, best of luck chasing that for the rest of your life again. And Honestly, and you know what? I didn’t think about it at the time and I, I think about it now, I’m like, it’s actually true. Like, I’m chasing that feeling again And just getting that edge. Right? Yeah. It’s like just chasing, just, is it the, is it the tiny improvement on yourself or is it, or is it, is it improvement on everybody else? How do you look on things? Is it, I think just trying to be a better version of yourself day to day. Yeah. Uh, and I don’t think, like, am I a better golfer than I was in 2019? Probably. Am I a better person? Probably. Uh, doesn’t mean I’m gonna come and win by seven this time. No. So it’s kind of got, it’s a funny sport like that where, you know, um, you could do everything right and prepare as good as you can, but it might not work out for you. But, uh, I think the one thing you have to do is prepare as best you can and then just go with it. Mm. And then if it happens, it happens. I think you just need to be free that way. Okay. Well it happened here for you on 13. There’s a little segue for me. Yeah. Go, um, talk, talk to me your, anytime you find yourself at a greenside bunker, um, on a part three, not like Yeah. Tough wind or a Bad shot. I think it was a nine iron. It was pretty straight down wind and I, I pulled it, I hit a bad shot. Okay. And I ended up in this bunker over here, um, which wasn’t the worst miss. Okay. Uh, But uh, obviously you want to hit the green at that stage. I was four ahead. Yeah. Uh, So from there you’re just counting down the holes you’re honestly Yeah. Yeah. Okay. You’re Literally, you’re trying your best to just, you know, make pars and uh, get the tournament finished. Okay, well let’s try and have a little look at it. Alright, So there’s on the up slope and it’s like there’s a, you know, the pin’s fairly far up the green and it’s kind of straightforward enough, but Yeah, I Are you thinking about trying to hold it? No, no, No. I’m just trying to get that open to be honest where the pin is, it’s kind of, if I hit it too far past it, it was a downhill put. Okay. So you’re trying to leave yourself, Put you and so it’s exactly as you Yeah, I left myself like a four footer up the hill Right to left kinda. Okay. Obviously I would’ve liked a two feet closer. Yeah. I was like four footer about already. Yeah. And uh, But you guys don’t even think about four footers. Well if you watch that put it lipped in on the left. Did it? Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. I kind of pulled it a Little bit, but we don’t have footage of that so it doesn’t actually count. Slightly different pin. The pin was kind of maybe a couple yards further, but it was on the up slope as well. And if you look at, And are you, are you, do you play 60 on an up slope or do you take something you’ll always 60 is every, is everything 60? Yeah, yeah. Yeah. The bunkers all 60 Bunkers. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. And uh, if you look at that in that video, actually the sand was wet, which makes it easier. Okay. Because it Was able to get a bit more go in it. Okay. Out sand, the sand is a little bit fluffier and drier and I’d say when we get back for the week of the open, there’ll be less sand than this in here. Oh, Will there? Yeah. To take the sand out and Okay. This will be more, less of an up slope there, I’d say. But, um, but yeah, it’s, it’s a similar pin but it’s not, I’d probably have to play it a little bit different. Um, there you go. Pretty similar how that was pretty Easy. Yeah. So yeah, like that’s straightforward enough and So if you look at that, you could play that shot a number of different ways, but you flew it almost the whole way there. I’m looking at just d getting it’s get d it out and then just letting it trickle down. That’s my thinking. Whereas there’s confidence to your obviously pro shots where it’s so aggressive with your bunker play. A lot of amateurs are quite attentive. Yeah. The running Out. I would be afraid of duffing it out. Is it getting too much of the slope and running past It really? Okay. So I’m, so you can control that better by getting this as More control as I Can. Yeah. Yeah. Okay. Alright. Well let’s see. I’m not gonna, yeah, I’m afraid to. Um, okay. But I agree with what you’re saying for amateur offers by the way, like, uh, if you get this just out, it’ll, we will release down to the hole. Ah, that’s a bit heavy, but That don’t All right. But it But it still has like, like the effect that Yeah. It just, it was a little bit off offline, but yet I’m probably going to take an eight footer. You’d be pretty happy with that. Yeah, reasonably. I’m, I’m bunkers don’t frighten me like pit mouse pit shots. Okay. Yeah. But um, yeah, that’s an easy bunker shot though. It is a pretty straightforward one. Yeah. Yeah. Anyway, I’ll give you yours. I definitely wouldn’t give, give me mine. There you go. Only just, alright, you well done. Pleasure. You were, thank you very much and really interesting to hear, uh, about it being only your second time back and hopefully your third time back will be as successful as, uh, as successful Yeah. As 2019. I’m excited. It’ll be, I’ll do well to make it better or similar so, uh, but yeah, I, I, I’ll try my best. And I, I think, uh, yeah, I’m just excited for the week. It’s gonna be, the crowds are gonna be great coming back here and Yeah. Even Rory coming back now as the master’s champion and me coming back. Yeah. So It’ll be cool. That’s gonna be class. We’ll be here with you of the gold Medal and the champion golfer of the year is Shane. Larry, Shane.