Too much pressure placed on McIlroy, reckons Lowry

SHANE LOWRY believes too much is being expected of Rory McIlroy as the Northern Irishman tees up for only his third major tournament.

McIlroy arrived in New York this week having won his first professional tournament in Dubai and claimed six top-five finishes on the European Tour. With Pádraig Harrington and Darren Clarke struggling of late, he has been talked up as Ireland’s best shot at Bethpage.

He has talked a good game too. Tiger Woods finished three-under par in claiming the US Open title the last time it was staged at the Black Course in Farmingdale, New York and McIlroy has spoken confidently about finishing below par this weekend.

“It is going to be playing long and Rory is definitely one of the best ball strikers in the world,” said Lowry yesterday prior to the first round, “but people are putting a lot of pressure on him to do well. He is only 20 years old.

“I do think he could do well. I hope he does well. Graeme (McDowell) as well. A (Horizon) stablemate of mine. Graeme shot a 63 to finish seventh there last weekend at the St Jude Classic and I think he could do quite well this week as well.”

A European winner would be some turn up for the books considering the last man from this continent to claim the US Open crown was Tony Jacklin who did so at Hazeltine in Minnesota back in 1970.

That in itself broke a drought stretching back to Scotland’s Willie Macfarlane who triumphed at the Worcester Country Club in Massachusetts in 1925 but Lowry believes the foreign brigade has every chance of success this time around.

“I think it is just a coincidence. People pick up on it when they look back at the past winners. It is just a coincidence that the Americans manage to win it. The Europeans are still great golfers.

“It is just another tournament even if it is a major. If one of the Europeans get it going like they can they will be in with a great chance of winning it.”

Lowry’s own focus is more local this weekend when he will spend a few days teeing up with some friends at the Old Head course in Kinsale. He returns to tour business on Monday when he flies to Germany for the BMW Open in Munich.

A busy schedule will see him play in the Open de France after Munich, followed by the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond, before another break during the week of the British Open, for which he has failed to qualify.

“I have been playing well enough. I have been hitting the ball well. I thought I played really well in Open qualifying. I shot one under but it was a tough field and I just didn’t hole any putts. If I can get my putter going I think I can do well. My iron play has been good, my long game in general has been decent enough this last while. It is the wedges and the putter and getting up and down from inside 100 yards. You have to be doing that eight or nine times out of 10.”