Lowry revels in his hero status
DEEP into Shane Lowry’s umpteenth interview yesterday, there was a moment that revived Fred Astaire’s first audition in Hollywood where it was observed: ‘He can’t act, he can’t sing; he can dance a little.’
It came when Lowry was asked about himself, as Open champion, being the sort of guy few would want to face, at which he modestly replied: ‘I drive the ball all right, I chip quite well and if I hole a few putts I can be dangerous, any given week.’
To win a major you have to drive the ball impeccably under pressure, which Lowry did at Portrush, your chipping has to be a lot better than ‘quite well’, while putting demands more than just ‘holing a few’.
Since his super Sunday, Lowry has kept a beady eye and steady hand on one of the most famous trophies in world sport, the Claret Jug which has been kept topped up with a few Irish whiskeys.
‘I can’t stop looking at my name on it,’ he said, beaming with that infectious smile of his.
‘There are names on it from the 1800s. It’s such an iconic piece of silverware and I can’t believe that
it’s in my house and it will be forever. That can never be taken away for me.’
Buzzing about in the background were his manager, Conor Ridge, brother Alan Lowry and caddy, Bo Martin, who cradled a pint of Guinness in his hand.
Martin politely declined interview requests, insisting it wasn’t his thing and that today was all about Lowry.
At one point, Lowry was asked whether he would continue with Martin on his bag. ‘He’ll definitely get another few months out of it, yeah,’ he quipped.
‘The job he did on Sunday was unbelievable. I know now that when I get in that same situation again, he is the right man for the job, so I can’t see it going pearshaped any time soon,’ he added.
The same situation again. That’s the challenge now for Lowry, to get into the white heat of battle of a Sunday afternoon and stay firm in the stretch.
He had to lose one major before he could win one, but he’s come through that crucible of pain as a stronger character, and a better player.
‘It’s a lonely place out there when you’re not going well, and I’ve had a couple of bad Sundays in majors and one particularly bad one (2016 US Open). he said.
‘I was going out there on Sunday just hoping it wasn’t going to happen to me that day. I was hoping I was able to man up and win the tournament.’
He did, by six strokes, drawing clear of Tommy Fleetwood, and drawing too on his experience at Oakmont, where he coughed up a four-stroke lead and was overtaken in the straight by Dustin Johnson.
‘I think I learned a bit from Oakmont,’ admitted Lowry. ‘I said to myself on Sunday: “No matter what happens here I’m going to fight to the bitter end”.
‘I don’t think I did that at Oakmont. I don’t think I had it then,’ he said candidly.
So, you have it now? ‘I have it now.’ Asked whether he thought he could always win a major, Lowry admitted to being unsure.
‘You don’t know, do you?’ he added. ‘You look at the people who have won one and you look at the names on that trophy, then you look at the great golfers that haven’t won one. It’s like: “Oh my God, I’ve won one”.
‘You always have doubts in your head, don’t you? You always have doubts about if you’re good enough, if you’re good enough to get the job done, or if you put yourself in the position do you have the balls?
‘Literally, that’s what it is, do you have the balls to go out there and do it because that’s what it takes.
‘I’m obviously quite happy that I was able to because it would have been quite difficult if I didn’t win on Sunday, you know, going out with another four-shot lead.
‘It could have gone pear-shaped easily enough. I mean the putt on that first hole, people underestimate how difficult it was.
‘The whole scenario, that two minutes on the first green, Tommy (Fleetwood) missing his (for birdie) and me holing mine (for bogey).
‘If he holes and I miss, there’s only one in it and suddenly I’m starting to think about all sorts.’
Instead he can think about more days like he had on Sunday.
‘When I do get up there at the top I know can I go back,’ he said. ‘Walking down 18, Bo said to me: “Look at those last four tee shots you’re after hitting”. I can always go back to that moment.’
As winner of the year’s final major, Lowry can milk centre stage for nine months until the next one comes around, in Augusta in April, where he will be identified as a serious player.
‘People will know if my name is on the leaderboard on Sunday in Augusta, they know I can get the job done,’ he noted.
No matter what happens here I’m going to fight to the bitter end