Lowry must embrace routine and measurement
In that time he has also watched him become the world’s top-ranked golfer, not once but twice, and Paul McGinley rates him highly enough to talk about him in terms of his possible participation on his Ryder Cup team, but as Shane Lowry went out to compete in the first round of the PGA Championship at Valhalla yesterday, he remains somewhat of an enigma.
Over the past couple of seasons he has openly spoken about wanting to move his game onto the next level, to be more competitive where it matters most on the world’s stage. But wanting is one thing, achieving it is altogether another.
There are only a few players in Europe with as much raw talent and shot-making skills as Lowry, but that too only goes so far unless it is harnessed properly.
Flair at the cutting edge of the elite professional game is measured statistically. Everyone out there can hit the glory shots. Everyone can be the big-time player but the winners are consistently those who can deliver when it matters most.
In the heat of battle, flair counts for little when you are trying to hit the ball to a tiny target hundreds of yards away. Consistent accuracy ultimately determines the opportunity, converted opportunities determine scores and scores ultimately determine careers.
Lowry at times seems to be a laissez-faire player from an era gone by, someone who has learned the game from the ground up. He certainly doesn’t subscribe to the almost fanatical gym routines of the likes of Woods and McIlroy and his practice away from tournament golf is almost uniquely conducted on the golf course rather than on the practice range. Strange as this blueprint may be, it has brought him considerable success, but in my mind if he is to push on to consistently challenge and win on the world stage he so covets, then things will have to change.
To win consistently, he must embrace the monotonous world of routine and measurement. Every detail must become crucial. Every angle must be considered and every chance to gain an incremental edge must be seized.
How else can he possibly become one of the best when his competition are some of the best ever, players like Tiger Woods who is decades into the world of measurement?
Each day Tiger consistently finds time for a workout in the gym, time for stretching, time for his coach, his on course practice and time for recovery. He openly monitors his practice, his food and his fluid intake all so that he can be the best.
From 1997 to 2008 Tiger had no real rivals in the game. Many challenged only to be swatted away unceremoniously. In that time he retired some players, demoted others to the point of rendering them almost uncompetitive — but throughout it all a new breed were watching, learning and eventually copying a proven mantra – all the time raising their standards before finally catching the ageing and injury-prone Woods.
Time waits for no one, not even the great Tiger Woods!
Today Tiger lives in the unfamiliar world of truly competitive golfers all capable of beating him every week. Gone is his walk in the park, his intimidation factor. Gone is his invincibility but his athleticism, his focus his dedication and, most importantly, his competiveness against deeper fields has meant that the game is now almost unrecognisable to the one played just a couple of decades ago.
Going forward, if Lowry truly wants to realise his ambitions to compete and win on the highest stage of professional golf then there can be no room for weakness, no room for soft spots in his game. He must constantly look for and take every advantage. Along the way he will undoubtedly encounter failure but he must learn to fail better, finding success in the effort.
Ultimately his attitude and determination must become more unforgiving — his mind must show no sign of weakness. Only then will he truly control his own destiny.
