Lowry feeling at home among elite

SHANE LOWRY begins his first major championship in the United States today finally beginning to feel at home amongst the best players in the world.

Fifteen months on from his shock 3 Irish Open victory as an amateur at Baltray, and after a shaky start to life as a professional following it, the Offaly 22-year-old is starting to reap the benefits of a maturation process that has produced a stronger work ethic and more consistent golf on the European Tour.

Now comes the next stage as Lowry tees off today in his USPGA Championship debut at Whistling Straits.

“I never thought about not making it,” Lowry said. “I never was negative. That was the main thing, a good thing.

“Winning at Baltray was huge. I knew I was good enough to win but that was on a great week. Don’t get me wrong, I questioned myself at times last year when I was missing cuts and not doing as well.

“I played in Akron last year (at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and shot 20-over for four rounds. But I think the big week for me last year was finishing third in Japan (at the Dunlop Phoenix last November). That was huge and gave me a great boost of confidence going into 2010.

“I’ve had talks with Dermot (Byrne, his caddie), since he started working with me, he told me I had to work harder and pointed out the right things … getting to know my own game, getting to know myself and what works for me. That was really it.”

A month on from his Open bow at St Andrews, where he comfortably made the cut and finished in a tie for 37th, Lowry reflected: “It was different. I didn’t know what to expect. I remember saying to Conor (Ridge, his manager) on the putting green at St Andrews, ‘I’m quite nervous’, because it was St Andrews and I didn’t quite know what to expect.

“Once I hit that first tee shot, I loved it after that.

The links-style Whistling Straits layout on the shores of Lake Michigan presents another stiff and potentially windy challenge but Lowry is continuing to warm to the majors experience.

“It’s great. Growing up playing golf, it’s where you’d want to be and hopefully I can play well this week and do well over the next few months, get into more majors, because that’s where you want to be in golf.

“To be honest, there’s no real point in playing golf unless you really, firmly believe you can compete with the world’s best. That’s the goal for me. Only 22 and got a long way to go yet.”