Shane Lowry seeks Pádraig Harrington’s know-how as Augusta preparations continue

Shane Lowry has arranged an Augusta National practice tee time alongside 14-time Masters representative Pádraig Harrington.

Lowry also revealed he has invited his father, Brendan to caddy for him in the Par 3 Contest on the eve of the Carton House golfer teeing-up for a first occasion in the season’s opening Major.

However, Lowry’s first priority is a decent performance in today’s starting Valero Texas Open in San Antonio.

It is Lowry’s second appearance in the $6.3m event after finishing 15th two years ago on the Greg Norman designed TPC San Antonio course.

This week, the Clara, Co Offaly native, has a Ford F-150 pick-up truck as his courtesy car and with Lowry looking to pick-up his form after missing the cut in last week’s Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando.

“After taking a nice week off following my 17th place finish at Doral, I came back out for the Arnold Palmer thinking normal service would resume and I would continue to play well,” he said.

“But I just ended up playing average on Thursday and leaving myself too much to do to make the cut on Friday. So missing the cut was like a wake-up call for me and while you don’t want to miss a cut when you do it can be like a reality check and that’s what it was like for me last week at Bay Hill.

“It was the first cut I had missed since the Irish Open last year and it’s not like I played poorly last week, it’s just that I played average on Thursday.

“So spending the weekend on the range at Lake Nona was perfect for me, so I just did my own thing before flying over here to San Antonio.

“I am liking being over here in the States and apart from last week, that’s showed in my results as I am really enjoying my golf over here.

“I played nine holes on Tuesday with Marc Warren who has an invitation and we had such a great time, and that’s something that is lacking over here and that’s the only thing lacking, the camaraderie.”

Graeme McDowell will play the opening two rounds in the company of Americans Dustin Johnson and Jim Furyk.

IRISH TEE TIMES: Graeme McDowell (1pm Irish), Shane Lowry 6.30pm (Irish).