Lowry hedges bets over LIV Golf rebels and Ryder Cup
Shane Lowry tees off on the 13th hole during the first round at the 2022 U.S. Open at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. on Thursday, June 16, 2022. (Robert Beck/USGA)
Shane Lowry refuses to rule out LIV Golf rebels for Europe’s Ryder Cup team and admits he’ll be “a happy, happy man” if Europe wins back the trophy in Rome with or without LIV Golf players.
The Offaly man is looking to bounce back from last year’s runner-up finish to Sepp Straka in what is the third event of a gruelling five-in-a-row PGA Tour run at the Honda Classic.
After recovering from back-to-back missed cuts with a tie for 14th in the Genesis Invitational on Sunday, the 2019 Open champion is again chasing Ryder Cup points and a return to top form after a fraught start to the season that saw him part company with longtime caddie Brian “Bo” Martin.
Making it to Rome and winning back the Ryder Cup is his big goal but with the result arbitration set to decide whether or not LIV Golf players will remain eligible to compete for European Ryder Cup spots, he’s loathe to make any definitive comment on the matter for fear of “bad blood” should they remain eligible to play.
“I can't sit here and say whether I think they should or shouldn't because the way it is now, I could be on the team with one or two of them or multiple of them in September,” Lowry said at PGA National, where he led by two shots with five holes to go last season but was pipped by a shot by fast-finishing Austrian Sepp Straka.
“The way it is now, they're eligible to make the team, and if they play well enough, they'll make the team. So it's a very interesting time, obviously.
“...Even if I had an opinion, I can’t really say because if I’m a part of the team and then there’s bad blood there, it doesn’t bode well for the team. ”
“I don't know. I don't know whether they should or they shouldn't. That's just kind of the way I am now. But even if I had an opinion, I can't really say because if I'm a part of the team and then there's bad blood there, it doesn't bode well for the team.
“I'm all about Team Europe and the Ryder Cup, and I'll do everything in my power to be a part of something that will be special in September.
“Whether there is lads involved in it or not, if we're standing there with the Ryder Cup trophy on Sunday, I'll be a happy, happy man.”
The 48-man LIV Golf League roster features a host of European Ryder Cup payers such leading points scorer Sergio Garcia, Ian Poulter, Lee Westwood, Martin Kaymer, Graeme McDowell, Bernd Wiesberger, Paul Casey and their latest signing, Belgium’s Thomas Pieters.
The result of the arbitration case will be known next month and Lowry believes Europe will have a strong team with or without the LIV Golf members.
"I don't wake up every Monday morning and look at it, but we have the bones of a very good team, and I think we've got probably the two hottest players in world golf at the minute -- well, definitely the hottest anyway in Jon, and Rory isn't playing too bad,” said Lowry, who was critical of LIV Golf members teeing up in the BMW PGA at Wentworth last year.
"I can't say I'm 100% OK with everyone being here, but some of the guys, I kind of don't mind them being here because of what they've done on the tour over the years," he told Sky Sports. "There are certain guys that I can't stand being here, to be honest, and I don't like it that they're here.”
After his win, he said his victory was “one for the good guys” and he clearly believes Europe has the strength in depth to win without the LIV Golf members.
"We’ve got some very good golfers, and you'd like to see a couple of the younger lads step up and make the team, as well,” he said today. "I think we're going to have a very good team come September."
He’s feeling good about his game again after correcting some fundamentals when he was reunited with coach Neil Manchip in Los Angeles last week and the Ryder Cup is clearly a goal.
“It's certainly one of my main goals for the season is to win the Ryder Cup, not only be a part of the team but win the tournament,” Lowry said.
“I think I was a part of the last team, and we got beaten pretty badly up at Whistling Straits, but hopefully get one back this year, and I'll be doing my best to make the team, and if I don't make it, I'll be doing my best to put my best foot forward to get a pick off Luke, but hopefully I can be there and hopefully add something to the team.
“Like I said, for me the last one felt like it was about making the team, and I felt like I got there then, and I probably didn't perform as good as I would have liked.
“Yes, I had a couple of highlights that week that were pretty cool, but this one I'd be solely focused on trying to win it as opposed to just making the team.”
The former Open champion looked poised to win in West Palm Beach last year before he was caught in a 72nd-hole rainstorm and was pipped by Austria’s Straka, who birdied three of his last five holes to beat him by a shot.
“Yeah, last year's runner-up finish was obviously very disappointing,” said world number 20 Lowry, who is the third highest-ranked player in the field behind 18th-ranked Sungae Im and 19th-ranked Billy Horschel.
“I had a two-shot lead with five to play. I didn't feel like I did much wrong the last five holes out here, which is tough to do because it's obviously a very tough stretch of golf, and yeah, I got beat by Sepp in the end.
“It was disappointing at the time, but I remember it kind of kick-started a nice consistent run of golf for me, and I played well going into the Masters then and stuff like that. It gave me a lot of confidence for the year ahead.”
Lowry is joined in the field by two-time Honda Classic winner Pádraig Harrington.
