THE JIG IS UP
Open champ Shane ditches pints in Old Course pub
SHANE LOWRY wasn’t short of a pint after Portrush but The Open champion insists he’s on the fizzy drinks in Fife.
The Irishman partied nonstop for a week after a stunning first Major triumph in July.
But he’s adamant he won’t be going on another binge at the Old Course in St Andrews with this week’s Dunhill Links Championship to worry about.
Lowry, 32, is planning to visit the world-famous Jigger Inn adjacent to the Road Hole but said: “I’ll have a Diet Coke with the lads. There will be no drink this week. I never drink the week of a tournament.
“But I’ll be down in the Jigger Inn all right. I always do that with my amateur partner Gerry McManus after our round.
“I don’t think in the modern game it’s possible to drink then go out and perform.
“I do dabble a bit on my weeks off but never during the week of a tournament.
“I don’t see the point. I am here to perform at my best and ultimately to win the tournament.
“I don’t think I could go down to the Jigger and sit there for a few hours and win the tournament. As a wise man once said to me, ‘None of us turn into geniuses drinking alcohol’.”
His profile has soared since lifting the Claret Jug but Lowry says little else has changed.
His first event in Europe since The Open produced a tied 11th at last week’s BMW PGA Championship and he said: “I didn’t feel any different on the course. I also didn’t feel I had higher expectations than I normally do. The first couple of days were a bit iffy but then I played some nice stuff at the weekend and I was really happy with how I finished.
“The one thing I took away was I didn’t feel any different as Open champion as I thought that might be the case and I might feel a bit more pressure.” And he’s enjoying the feelgood factor of arriving at the home of golf – where The Open will return to in 2021 – as Champion Golfer of the Year.
He said: “I’ve got the trophy with me and might sneak out on to the 18th green to get a picture at some stage.
“The R&A is here and the British Golf Museum. I’m giving my lob wedge to the museum as it got me out of some tricky situations at The Open.
“I didn’t have too many wonder up and downs that week as I played good golf.
“But I hit a great shot to eight feet into the 15th on the Sunday to make birdie and that put me six ahead with three to play. I don’t find it hard to part with it but a little fella asked me for my putter last week and I was like, ‘Are you joking me?’.
“I’m also staying in a house by the 18th and they have a lot of golf memorabilia.
“There’s a picture of the Champions’ Dinner in 2010 and the one thing I’m looking forward to about being an Open champion is coming back in two years’ time for the dinner – that’s going to be cool.”