Lowry and Power delighted for "incredible" Leona Maguire
FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 05: Leona Maguire of Ireland poses with the Trophy after winning the LPGA Drive On Championship at Crown Colony Golf & Country Club on February 05, 2022 in Fort Myers, Florida. (Photo by Douglas P. DeFelice/Getty Images)
Shane Lowry was thrilled for Leona Maguire and his ex-caddie Dermot Byrne and believes the Co Cavan battler will only inspire her to become a multiple LPGA winner.
The 2019 Open champion reckons Maguire’s achievement in becoming the first Irish player to win on the LPGA Tour will be a huge boost to Irish women’s golf and fuel her desire to win again.
“I am delighted for Leona and also delighted for Dermot but what a performance from Leona”, said Lowry after finishing in a share of 14th in the Saudi International.
“She was world number one-ranked amateur for three years and to be the first Irish-born woman to win on the LPGA Tour is outstanding, and I’m so happy for her.
“I have to say, her win doesn’t come as a surprise to me because I have been talking a lot with Dermot and it did seem just a matter of time, and on top of her efforts in the Solheim Cup, it’s going to be another huge lift for women’s golf in Ireland.
“Looking back, she had a decent season last year, without winning and there was a great last round at the Evian, so delighted for her.”
It took Lowry three years to add to his 2009 Irish Open win with victory in the 2012 Portugal Masters but he expects Leona to go on and win multiple titles.
“I’m sure winning a first pro title will be a monkey off her back and I know I wasn’t expecting to win at Baltray, but then we each expect more of ourselves when we win and Leona will be the same,” Lowry said.
“Though when you do get your first win, it doesn’t make it any easier going forward and trying to win more. It just makes you want it more.
“People might say to you ‘well, you’ve won now so you can relax’ but we all want more when we win.
“That’s just the way this game is and you can spend your whole career wanting more, but then what I do know of Leona is she is a very level-headed young woman.
“When I first spoke to Dermot about Leona, and that was at last year’s Olympic Games, the first thing he said to me was that she has a good head on her shoulders. Yes, it’s great news and so happy for both of them.”
Lowry fell one spot to 48th in the world but Séamus Power rose four places to 46th following his tie for ninth in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
The West Waterford man, who returns to action with Graeme McDowell in this week’s WM Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale, was five shots clear at halfway after a brace of 64s.
But while he faded at the weekend, following a three-over 74 at Monterey Peninsula Country Club with a level par 72 at Pebble Beach on Sunday, he moved up six places to eighth in the FedEx Cup standings.
Power made 18 birdies over the first two rounds but admitted he was never comfortable with his game.
I’ve never played Monterey well and it kind of got me yesterday and took my momentum away,” he said. “But overall it was nice to pick up a couple of shots on the back.
“It’s weird to say after having a very good opening two rounds but I didn’t have my best game this week. But I was able to manage it and my wedges and putting were good enough to keep me in it and that’s encouraging.”
He missed the cut on his line appearance in Phoenix in 2019 but insists he’s looking forward to playing one of the most atmospheric events on the PGA Tour.
“I didn’t play well Phoenix the last time,” he said. “I can’t remember the course that well. I’ve only played it once I was struggling at the time but I’m looking forward to it because the whole experience is pretty special there so we’ll see. I have some friends in town for the week so I’m really looking forward to it.”
He had hoped to make it a double-winning weekend for Irish golf but he was nonetheless delighted for Maguire.
“Incredible,” he said. “I texted her this morning. She’s incredible. Ever since I met her I’ve always been following her.
“She’s been amateur world number one and even last year she led the Solheim Cup scoring on points in an incredible rookie year and almost won last year. And now she’s come out this year early and won. I’m not surprised.
“It’s incredible for her to be the first LPGA winner from Ireland. I have nothing but good things to say about her.”
The DP World Tour remains at Al Hamra Golf Club for the Ras Al Khaimah Classic where Jonathan Caldwell and Cormac Sharvin will be the Irishmen in action.
The Challenge Tour season also tees off with the Dimension Data Pro-Am at Fancourt Estate with Kinsale’s John Murphy, Niall Kearney, Paul Dunne and Gavin Moynihan in action in the first of seven seven events in southern Africa - six in South Africa and April’s Mount Kilimanjaro Classic in Tanzania.