Lowry looking at big picture

SHANE LOWRY will kick off his season this week with Ryder Cup revenge as his main motivation. Europe’s next tilt at the United States is not until September 2023 – but such was the depth of hurt from the walloping at Whistling Straits that the 2019 Open champion has made qualifying for Rome and winning back the cup his top career goal.

Lowry, on his debut, was one of Europe’s few bright lights in a crushing 19-9 defeat and the experience lit a fire inside the Irishman (below).

“Revenge? Yeah. Look, last year it kind of hurt a little bit, the beating we got over at Whistling Straits,” he said.

“We were just beaten by a better side on the week and they played the better golf.

“It was disappointing but it was also an amazing experience and something that I look back on with very fond memories.

“There’s no doubt that I want to be a part of the team to go to Rome in a year and a half’s time and take that

Ryder

Cup. I don’t know about other players, I can only speak for myself, but for me that’s my main focus over the next few years.

“I feel like if I can make that team and help the team to victory there I’d have done some good stuff individually over the next year and a half.

“That’s where I’m at in my own head.”

With favourite Leewestwood dropping out of the race to succeed Padraig Harrington, Europe’s next captain is unlikely to be finalised until March at the earliest.

Lowry’s take is that there is no need to panic and change the formula on the

back of one bad result. “I don’t understand anyone talking about ripping up and starting over,” he said.

“I think the European Tour have done well over the years – it’s pretty much gone with home advantage – so let’s see how the next one goes.

“The Americans are very strong.there’s no doubt about that.

“We need a good strong team and a good captain and to do everything right the next time if we’re going to win it back. But that can happen and that will happen.”

Lowry starts out his 2022 at the Abu Dhabi Championship on Thursday in a strong field which includes seven of Europe’s team plus America’s Collin Morikawa, who was unbeaten atwhistling Straits.

Lowry won in the desert in 2019 but has missed the cut for the past two years.

He said: “I think if you win early in the season, it takes a lot of pressure off. It did for me anyway when I won in Abu Dhabi. I felt like I just free-wheeled it for the rest of the season and went on and had a good year after that.

“It does give you a great stepping

stone.”