“My main goal for the next four tournaments is to try and get a win”
Shane Lowry might be running on fumes but he should have the edge over new dad Jon Rahm as he bids to deny the Basque star his fourth win in six starts in the acciona Open de España.
The normally jovial Offaly man wears his heart on his sleeve and while many would be pleased with back to back 12th place finishes in the Amgen Irish Open and the BMW PGA, Lowry was far from happy with those results, so desperate is he to grab his first individual win since the 2022 BMW PGA.
His first Spanish Open start since 2014 will also be his first at the Club de Campo, where Padraig Harrington won his first DP World Tour event and Seve Ballesteros the last of his 50 European crowns.
A high temperature prevented Rahm from competing in LIV Golf’s season-ending team championship in Dallas at the weekend.
He admits he’s playing in hope rather than expectation after his wife Kelley gave birth to the couple’s third child, and first girl, Alaya, on Monday.
He didn't jet out of Scottsdale until Tuesday evening and after only arriving in Madrid at lunchtime yesterday, he skipped the Pro-Am and will tee it up alongside Sepp Straka and defending champion Matthieu Pavon this afternoon without the benefit of a practice round
“I'm very happy with how well everything turned out,” Rahm said of the birth.
“Being able to bring the little one home and for the kids to meet her, I would have been sad if I had to leave and miss that moment.
“We were lucky to be able to do all that and still arrive at the tournament on time.
“Thank God both are in very good health and I'm very grateful for how well everything went.”
With Rahm joined in Madrid by Lowry, Straka and Tommy Fleetwood and LIV Golf quartet Tyrell Hatton, Patrick Reed, David Puig and Eugenio Chacarra, it’s a strong field and a sign of what might lie in store again should efforts to reunite the game prosper.
Rahm said “a big step” had been made during the latest PIF-PGA Tour talks and he remains optimistic the game can move forward.
As for Lowry, he's making his ninth start in 11 weeks and he's keen to enter the winner’s enclosure again even if he did triumph with Rory McIlroy in the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April.
“I was disappointed leaving last week and I was obviously disappointed leaving the Irish Open,” Lowry said. “I'm playing pretty solid and having some nice results. But at the end of the day I'm out there trying to win and get myself into position to win.
“I feel like I've done that quite a bit this year but I obviously haven't knocked one off yet on my own. Helped Rory over the line at one stage.
“I've got four tournaments left in the season, and my main goal for the next four tournaments is to try and get a win. Obviously this would be a great week to start.
“You look at this trophy, you look at the names, to add your name to that would be pretty cool.”
Rookies Sara Byrne and Lauren Walsh are also looking to win the LET’s Lacoste Ladies Open de France in Deauville while on the LPGA Tour, Leona Maguire tees it up in the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship.
Tenth-ranked Conor Purcell continues his quest for one of 20 DP World Tour card alongside Jonny Caldwell, John Murphy, Gary Hurley and Cormac Sharvin in the Swiss Challenge.
Meanwhile, Galway’s Liam Nolan shot a five under 65 to share the halfway lead at the First Stage of the DP World Tour Q-School at Horsens Golfklub in Denmark.
Max Kennedy shot 71 to share 10th on five under with Mark Power joint 12th on four-under after a 69 and David Kitt 43rd on two over after a 72, five shots outside the top 18 and ties who will progress to the Second Stage.
At Golf de Léry Poses in France, Ronan Mullarney (27th), Conor O’Rourke (47th) and Jack Madden (71st) were unable to complete their weather-delayed second rounds at a venue where Tim Rice was 55th on two-over after a brace of 73s in the battle make the top 21 and ties.
