Harrington: "Shane delivered big time in the summer"
Shane Lowry of Ireland plays his second stroke on the No. 11 holeduring Round 2 of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, Friday, April 9, 2021.
Pádraig Harrington insisted that Shane Lowry has nothing to prove after overcoming huge pressure to earn one of his three Ryder Cup wildcards for Whistling Straits.
While Lowry failed to clinch the top eight finish he need to secure one of nine automatic spots on the team, Harrington named him as his second wildcard after record points scorer Sergio Garcia before completing his lineup with "the Postman" Ian Poulter.
"He is a major winner; he is a World Golf Championships winner; we don't think of him as a rookie," Harrington said during his announcement. "Everybody thinks of him as a winner, as an experienced player and that would be Shane Lowry."
Lowry won out ahead of veteran Justin Rose for his wildcard but Harrington had no doubts despite the fact that the Offaly man finished 17th in the BMW PGA at Wentworth, fours shots outside the top eight finish he needed to qualify automatically.
"You think there was pressure today, Shane has played with that pressure all year," Harrington said. "He has been right on the edge all year, on the fringe, and he delivered big time in the summer under that pressure.
Jon Rahm of Spain shakes hands with Shane Lowry of Ireland after winning their match during the second round of the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play at Austin Country Club on March 25, 2021 in Austin, Texas. (Photo by Steve Dykes/Getty Images)
"Nobody thinks of him as a rookie. If I've picked a rookie, he has probably delivered twice because a rookie has to prove himself more than anyone else.
"Shane is a big-time player and he loves nothing better than being on the big stage. He delivers consistently under pressure in those situations, so it was an easy pick based on his form."
Lowry admitted he faced a nervous wait after his round before getting called into a private room to get the good news from Harrington.
"It's amazing," Lowry said. "For me, it's been a career-long goal to get to the Ryder Cup. With Padraig being captain, it's extra special for me because I am very close friends with him.
"I am just so happy I got a pick. I tried my best to make the team today. Things didn't go my way on the back nine because it has been a stressful week and a stressful few hours.
"I was going out trying to win the tournament and make the team. Even when I went through a bad run on the back nine, I said right I need to make a few birdies to show what I'm made of here.
"I felt like I did a good job and I am incredibly happy about what I have achieved."
"I was sitting in the Players Lounge with my Dad and a couple of friends and everyone was getting a bit nervous and a bit antsy. I had people calling me and Padraig called me into the principal's office and he gave me a hug and said congrats. It was a special moment."
Harrington added Garcia, Lowry and Poulter to a team already featuring Jon Rahm, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Bernd Wiesberger, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Paul Casey, Matthew Fitzpatrick and Lee Westwood and he is thrilled with the lineup.
"It's a great team for foursomes and fourball play with a lot of good ball-strikers. Real good ball strikers. It's a team going to Whistling Straits that is well used to the golf course. A very strong well-balanced team."
Now that he's made the team, Lowry wants to go to Wisconsin and win the trophy not just tick a box.
"There's no point going over just to make up numbers," Lowry said. "We want to go over and win and I have that in my head.
"I've said that all year, I've said I obviously want to make the team but I want to win as well. I don't want to be there just to say I've played The Ryder Cup. I want to go and I want to make it count."
