Bucket list full as Shane Lowry takes place in Irish Ryder Cup lore

It wasn’t until getting that phonecall last week from captain Pádraig Harrington that Shane Lowry felt he’d finally reached the pinnacle of the game

Shane Lowry of Team Europe walks off the 6th green during a practice round prior to the Ryder Cup at Whistling Straits in Kohler, Wisconsin. Picture: Tom Russo/Sportsfile

It’s funny how the minds of the greatest players work. For Shane Lowry, lifting the Claret Jug as champion golfer of the year at Royal Portrush in the 2019 Open Championship was the fulfilment of a lifelong dream — something he wanted to do.

Being on the European Ryder Cup team this week at Whistling Straits? That, Lowry said, is something he “had to do”. It wasn’t until getting that phonecall last week from captain Pádraig Harrington that Lowry felt he’d finally reached the pinnacle of the game. It was the final box he believed he needed to tick off to have officially arrived at his career destination.