Lowry feels Major optimism for next big test
ROCHESTER, NY - MAY 15: Shane Lowry hits his tee shot on the seventh hole during a practice round before the PGA Championship at Oak Hill Country Club on Monday, May 15, 2023 in Rochester, New York. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/PGA of America)
Shane Lowry considers himself a Major player and after finishing tied 12th in the PGA Championship he can’t wait to get to Los Angeles for the US Open next month.
The 2019 Open champion didn’t manage to get all elements of his game firing on all cylinders at Oak Hill but after a week off this week, he’s looking forward to a four-in-a-row stretch that includes another crack at the US Open at Los Angeles Country Club next month.
“The one thing I'm happy with this week is like Augusta, I came to Augusta and I felt like I performed pretty well here and I done the same thing,” Lowry said after finishing on level par.
“If I can keep doing that in the big tournaments that is what is going to make me happy.”
The Clara man considers himself a Major player and will use the Memorial Tournament and the Canadian Open to get his game ready for LA.
“Yes, that’s it,” he said. “Obviously I need to go and find some finishes on the PGA Tour because I need to get myself up the FedEx Cup.
“I think when you sit down at the end of the year, and you look at your major performances, I think if they're pretty good, I think you'd be pretty happy with yourself.
“So obviously, the rest of the tournaments are pretty important but I believe that the four majors are the most important.
“That's kind of the way it is. I've played a lot of golf this year so far. So I'm looking forward to that week off , then I’ll get at it again in the Memorial and looking forward to the US Open.
“I always play Memorial, always play Canada and always play US Open. I have to throw in a few good finishes and have to play Travelers, that’s why I’m playing there.
“That’s normally my schedule so Travelers is the only one that I am adding.
“I love Memorial. I like the golf course. And I love going Canada. Toronto is a place I like visiting and I generally play okay there.”
As for his game, he believes it won’t take much to find top form.
“I don't think so,” he said. “And that’s the great going away from this.
“I’ll have a call with (Coach) Neil (Manchip)during the week and have a bit of a debrief. But I’d imagine his feelings are like mine.
“I don't think we're very far away from doing something pretty good in one of these, so just have to keep believing in myself and keep telling myself that it's not far away because it definitely wasn't far away this week.”
Lowry was third in the field for proximity to the hole with his irons, which bodes well for the US Open.
“That's the best I've driven all week,” he said. “I felt very comfortable out there with driver but yeah, my iron play was pretty good.
“Look it's one of the strengths my game. People talk about my short game and all this, that and the other but I believe that my iron play is probably the strength of my game.”
