Lowry declares loyalty to golf’s status quo

Shane Lowry plays a shot on the second hole during the first round at the 2021 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines Golf Course in San Diego, Calif. on Thursday, June 17, 2021. (Jeff Haynes/USGA)

Shane Lowry insists he has no intention of joining the Saudi-backed Super Golf League and declared his allegiance to the PGA and DP World Tours.

The Offaly man (34) signed a three-year deal to play the controversial Saudi International shortly after winning The Open in 2019.

But after fulfilling his contract earlier this month, he is now entirely focused on the US and Europe and winning back the Ryder Cup.

"I have never really said anything about it because no one has ever asked me, but the way I see it, the PGA Tour and the DP World Tour have given me and my family a life I never thought I would have and I am grateful for that," Lowry said.

"I am solely focused on trying to win more PGA Tour events and more DP World Tour events and more majors.

"I want to try and play in the next Ryder Cup and win that back and do stuff like that. So that's where I am at in my career and that's it really."

Lowry approached the PGA TOUR to let them know his position after seeing his name linked with the breakaway tour in some online reports.

"It didn't really sit well with me," he said ahead of the Honda Classic, where he partners Stewart Cink and Zach Johnson, who is reportedly set to be named 2023 US Ryder Cup skipper on Monday.

"I am committed to Europe and the PGA Tour. I have had some of the greatest times of my life on the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour and at the Ryder Cup last year and that's going to be the case going forward."

As for those appearances in the Saudi International, that relationship appears to be over.

"I signed a deal after The Open in 2019 to play three years in a row when the Saudi International was a European Tour event," he said. "It just so happens that my deal ran into this year, and I had to play this year as well, so that's the reason I was there."

Rory McIlroy declared the Super Golf League "dead in the water" after Phil Mickelson's controversial comments prompted Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau to turn their back on it and declare their loyalty to the status quo.

"I wasn't approached by anybody," Lowry said of his decision to speak up. "But it was when I saw my name thrown around a couple of times, I actually went to them (the PGA TOUR) on Monday."

Lowry is hosting Pádraig Harrington at his West Palm Beach home this week before playing The Players, the Valspar Championship and the WGC Dell Match Play as his preparation for the Masters.

"I am itching to get going," the world number 50 said, admitting he needs to move up from 221st the FedEx Cup standings, having made just one cut from three in during the Fall Series.

"Even though I have not played much, the next seven weeks are going to be pretty intense."

He started the season with three top 25 finishes in the Middle East, and while a closing 77 cost him the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, he's upbeat.

"Obviously, I had a really, really disappointing Sunday in Abu Dhabi - as disappointing a Sunday as I have had in my career," he admitted. "I really felt like I could go out and win the tournament, and I had a pretty bad finish."

He’s played the Honda Classic three times and while he’s always made the cut, he’s never managed to put four good rounds together with last year a perfect example

“It’s definitely a tournament I feel like I can do well at,” said Lowry, who was fifth at halfway after rounds of 67 and 66 but finished up tied 36th after a brace of 74s at the weekend. “That’s why I’m here. A lot of people don’t really like the course because it is quite difficult.

“But it is one of those courses that you can play great but if you had a couple of bad shots at the wrong time you can get really really punished. I like it here I have shot some really good scores around here I just need to put four of them together.

“There is a bit of luck involved this week but if you hit your right bad shots at the right time you can get away with them but if you hit them at the wrong time you will get severely punished. It’s a very penal golf course and a very stressful golf course but it’s a course I like playing and of course, I like competing at.

“Obviously it’s a home tournament for me now with my house down here and my family here and all so that’s pretty good as well.

"I'd be fairly bullish about my chances over the next few months, and I am looking forward to it. I don't think there is that much that needs to change, other than keep doing what I am doing and stay patient and wait for it to happen, and hopefully, it happens in about six to seven weeks."

He also took time out to pay tribute to Michael Hoey (43), who has retired to take up a role as a European Tour referee.

"Obviously, I've known 'Hoe-dog' for a long time, and he's had a great career, and he's a very impressive golfer," he said of Hoey, who won five European Tour and three Challenge Tour titles as well as the Amateur Championship and the Walker Cup in 2001.

"It's kind of sad to see him retiring, but I wish him all the best going forward now in this new role."

Joking, he added: “I’m sure I will see him out there and I hope I am not looking for a ruling from him!.”

Hoey looked into refereeing during the pandemic when he had to take a job with DHL to make ends meet, and with competition hotter than ever, he believes it's time to move on.

"Every golfer probably feels they have underachieved, but I'm pleased that when I had opportunities to win tournaments, I took them," Hoey told the BBC.

At the Alps Tour's Ein Bay Open in Egypt, Conor Purcell shot a one-under 71 to go into the final round tied for sixth on eight-under, two shots behind a quintet of leaders.

Meanwhile, Malone's Matthew McClean fired a six-under 66 at Randpark's Firethorn Course to go into the final round of the South African Amateur Stroke Play Championship tied for 11th on eight-under, albeit 16 shots adrift of local man Christiaan Maas.