Moriarty and Lowry seek major move

Dream qualifiers Shane Lowry and Colm Moriarty want to build some major momentum on their major debuts at St Andrews.

Irish Open champion Lowry, 23,  knows he can cement his place in next month’s US PGA with a solid week at the Home of Golf.

And Challenge Tour battler Moriarty, 31, confessed that after almost seven years of struggles in the pro ranks, The Open could push him to the next level.

Inspired by stablemate and US Open champion Graeme McDowell, Moriarty said: “I suppose you do get frustrated, no question about it. I was always trying to improve and sometimes it backfired on me. But I don’t regret anything.

“In 2006 I had a terrible year because I was working with Peter Cowen and tried to change my whole game and it didn’t work out.

“But I don’t regret it because I was always trying to improve and now I have found a path that I am comfortable with.

“As the man said, it takes years to achieve overnight success and I feel now that I am on a better roll.

“I am 31 now and have been at it for six years. It is about time I stepped it up a gear.”

Lowry jumped to 88th in the world thanks to his top-10 finish in the Scottish Open and he knows that if he can keep his run going and stay in the top 100, he’ll be playing in the US PGA at Whistling Straits.

He shot a sensational 62 at Sunningdale Old to qualify for the Open and believes a hot putter could help him challenge in his first major.

Lowry said: “St Andrews really is a special place and it’s going to be great to be involved. Hopefully I can go out and compete.

“My putting has improved ever since the qualifying for this. Something just clicked that day and I managed to start holing a few and I’ve managed to just keep doing that.

“Hopefully I can keep going on. I know it is a major and it is an Open here at St Andrews but I am just trying to treat it as any other tournament, prepare as well as I can and see what happens come Sunday.”