Lowry set to get down to business
He follows up this week’s Czech Open with a first professional appearance in the United States in the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational beginning at Firestone Country Club on Thursday week.
Byrne, one of several brothers with distinguished records in the caddying game, has worked with Peter Lawrie for several years. When it became clear recently that Lowry was looking for a new bagman, Lawrie felt the time was right for change and he made himself available. The offer was gratefully accepted and the duo team up for the first time at this week’s Czech Open.
His astounding victory in the Irish Open seems a distant memory for Lowry and that is no bad thing. The decision to turn pro a few days after the hype of Baltray would have taken its toll on any 22-year-old and it was inevitable that he would need time to settle into his new environment.
It was not surprising that he should have missed his first three cuts on Tour but the first welcome signs that Lowry was finding his feet came when he completed 72 holes at both the French and Scottish Opens over two of the more difficult courses on the European circuit. Two out of five cuts at this stage is no bad average and now he must prepare to take another step up the ladder.
After a couple of weeks off – one of which was spent practising in Portugal and much of the rest devoted to renewing his fitness programme in collaboration with former Irish and Lions rugby star Eric Miller – Lowry returns to action this week in the Czech Open at Celadna. After that he travels on to Akron in Ohio for the WGC Bridgestone Invitational.
Given that Tiger Woods and all the other greats of the modern game will be in the field, that will be a massive step-up on anything Lowry has encountered so far. However, he seems to have the mental toughness and a laid back air that will help him to cope, all the more so now that he has an experienced man in Dermot Byrne will be on the bag.
Lowry has become the focus of much attention ever since his victory at Baltray. Even though these things happen regularly on the professional scene and their relationship was never based on a long-time agreement, the news of his break-up with caddie Dave Reynolds made one or two front pages with claims that the bagman had been “dumped”.
Lowry and his manager Conor Ridge of Horizon Sports Management were outraged at such suggestions, stressing that it all transpired on an entirely amicable basis. Lowry and Reynolds were close friends – and remain so – and were a “team” on the amateur circuit for a few years but the latter had no knowledge of caddying on a wider scale and certainly none at European Tour level.
One can only wonder what Peter Lawrie feels about his man deserting him in mid-season but again it’s a vivid illustration of how these alliances are rarely more than a temporary little arrangement.
As recently as June, Paul McGinley and his long-time caddie Darren Reynolds went their separate ways and at the end of last year, the highly respected Dubliner Colin Byrne parted company from Retief Goosen, with whom he won the 2005 US Open at Shinnecock Hills.
Six Irishmen, Lowry, Damien McGrane, Peter Lawrie, Michael Hoey, Gary Murphy and Gareth Maybin, will be in action this week in the Czech Republic. Murphy is the odd man out in that he is the only member of the sextet not sure of his Tour card for 2010. The Kilkenny man has had a disappointing campaign which leaves him 145th place in the money list with €111,217. He probably needs to replicate that figure to clinch a place in the top 115 who retain their playing privileges at season’s end.
Murphy, 36, has been a regular on Tour since claiming the sixth card at the 2002 qualifying school. He had a best finish of 59th in 2003 when he came 3rd in the Scottish Open, and was again 3rd in the 2008 Irish Open at Adare Manor. The substantial cheques he made in those tournaments helped to keep Gary in the top echelon and he badly needs a similar injection in the near future.
Arguably the most impressive performance by any Irishman over the weekend came from Denis O’Sullivan in the British Seniors Open at Sunningdale.
The former amateur star felt at home in the exalted company of superstars like Greg Norman and Tom Watson and shot excellent rounds of 68, 71, 70 and 67 for a four under par total of 276 and a share of 17th. It could have been better for the 61-year-old Cork man who was right up with the best playing the second round until running up double bogeys at the 10th and 18th.
Disappointed but undaunted, O’Sullivan displayed typical resilience with a solid even par score of 70 consisting of 16 pars, one birdie and one bogey on the following day before finishing in style on Sunday with a 67 that pushed him into the top twenty.
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