Lowry on the secret to Dustin Johnson's success: "It's hard work, determination and balls"
The Green jacket is presented to Dustin Johnson by Masters champion Tiger Woods after his 20-under-par victory during Round 4 of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, Saturday, November 15, 2020.
Shane Lowry put Dustin Johnson's record-breaking Masters win down to hard work and "balls" and confessed he was unsurprised that Bryson DeChambeau failed to live up to his own hype.
The Offaly man is looking to build on his career-best tie for 25th at Augusta National when he he tees it up in what could be his last event of the year in the RSM Classic at Sea Island.
But when reflecting on Johnson's five-shot win on 20-under par and the failure of "Mad Scientist" DeChambeau's failure to live up to his boast that the course was a par-67 for him given his length, the 2019 Open champion was far from shocked.
"I've said it all along — you don't just rock up and win The Masters," Lowry said in a podcast with his sponsors Paddy Power.
"You don't just rock up and win golf tournaments. It's not that easy. And to be honest, I thought that Bryson was building himself up for a big fall.
"I'm not like that — I don't like to talk myself up. I try and go about my business by coming in under the radar.
"Obviously Bryson likes talking and putting it all out there, but I thought he was building himself up for a big fall last week because going out and saying Augusta is a par-67... he's basically saying the third hole is a par-three, but it’s 360 yards.
"He is what he is. Bryson goes on about all this science in golf, but he probably works harder than anyone. He puts more time and effort into his golf than the majority of people, and that's why he's so good.
"He goes and says it's the science, but everybody just works as hard as they can. That's what top sport is all about."
Shane Lowry of Ireland plays his stroke from the No. 4 tee during Round 2 of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, Friday, November 13, 2020.
It was Johnson who shot the equivalent of four 67s, slicing two shots off the tournament record held by Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth with a 20-under aggregate.
"Dustin has put years and years into it, and that Masters win is all he's ever wanted to achieve," Lowry said.
"It's not all science. It's hard work, determination and balls. There's no computer that will give you a pair of balls so that when you get up on the 12th tee at Augusta you'll hit an 8-iron over the water and on to the green. There's no formula to that."
Lowry outscored playing partner Woods by eight shots on the 12th but revealed he resisted the temptation to crack any jokes.
"He's a normal enough fella but he's also the greatest golfer of all time. To have the first couple of rounds with him was cool, but to play with him on the final day with him wearing the Sunday red was awesome," Lowry said.
"I'm out there trying to beat him, trying to get a better score than him, and he definitely gave me a helping hand with that 10 on the 12th.
"I couldn't believe what was happening. People think it's 150 yards and that should be easy, but that's one of the most brutal holes in golf.
"The wind swirls down there, the green is soft and spinny. It's a huge sigh of relief to just hit the green, and then to stand and watch him do that was unbelievable.
"Anytime he hit a bad drive he'd say to his caddy, 'Ah there was like one of yours Joey'.
"We were stood on the 13th tee and my caddy Bo Martin said to me, I wonder what he'd say if I said to him, 'I bet you wished Joey had hit that one'. But I couldn't say that to him, I bottled it."
Lowry, who tees it up with Troy Merritt and former Masters champion Danny Willett on the Seaside Course (1450 Irish time) is joined at Sea Island by Graeme McDowell, who starts on the Plantation Course with Dylan Frittelli and Kevin Chappell (1610).
The field features 20 of the top 50 compared to just five last year with world No 6 Webb Simpson and Masters runner-up Sungjae Im both in action.
On the European Tour, Cormac Sharvin and Jonny Caldwell tee it up in the Joburg Open at Randpark while on the LPGA Tour, Leona Maguire and Stephanie Meadow return to action after a three-week break for the $1.5 million Pelican Women's Championship at Pelican Golf Club near Tampa in Florida.
