Lowry’s magic number

Shane Lowry will take a well-earned break this week, satisfied with his 2013 season to date that belongs in the company of the world’s best players.

Only yesterday at Oak Hill, during the final round of the PGA Championship, as the Clara golfer weighed up a birdie putt at the par-four 12th he glanced across at the third hole and saw world No 1 Tiger Woods similarly assessing the green.

“I said to Dermot [Byrne, his caddie], I better wait for him to hit,” Lowry said after his final-round, one-over-par 71. “It was pretty cool to be waiting for Tiger to hit a shot. I still think he is God and it is great to be playing in the same tournaments and competing against him.

“If it wasn’t for him, we wouldn’t be making the money that we are.”

On course to finish in the top-60 at the final Major of the year, Lowry’s next target is to finally break into the top 50 in the world rankings, which would book him a spot in all four Majors for 2014, guarantee entry into the four World Golf Championship tournaments and enhance his chances of getting onto Europe’s Ryder Cup team for Gleneagles next autumn.

Currently No 81 in the world but set to rise a couple of places following this week, Lowry will tee it up once more on August 22 at the Johnnie Walker Championship, also at Gleneagles. And the 26-year-old is clearly heading in the right direction, both statistically and mentally, having landed his first European Tour title as a professional at last October’s Portugal Masters to add to his famous Irish Open win as an amateur in 2009.

“I am not blowing my own trumpet here or anything but there are not many players in that top 50 I feel are better than me. I just need a couple of breaks and get myself in there and I guarantee you I won’t be moving out of it.

“My game is very close to being very, very good. I think 90% of it is good and I have to work on that other 10%.

“I really feel like I can push towards another win in the next few months and that will hopefully cement my place in the top 50 in the world for the end of the year.

“Nice week off and I look forward to Gleneagles, I love the golf course and it’s a nice area that I like going to.”

All week at Oak Hill, the Irishman played beautifully from tee to green only to see birdie and par chances go abegging on the putting surface.

Yesterday’s 71 was familiarly frustrating, his putts from 15 feet seeming to slide agonisingly past the hole, including that birdie chance on 12 when he waited for Woods to take his turn nearby.

“I definitely felt I putted better [in the final round].

” I am going to do quite a bit of putting this week and focus on that more than anything else and try and get ready for Gleneagles.”