Shane Lowry: 'I just need to play s*** for the next couple of days, and I'll be all right'

Lowry feels he has a tendency to become complacent when he's playing well. 

Shane Lowry believes he's a better golfer now than when he won The Open in 2019. Pic: Brian Lawless/PA Wire.

Things are going well for Shane Lowry. Too well.

The Offaly man has put on record his belief that he played too much golf in the first six months of 2025, but he has been back home in Ireland the last few weeks for the first time since the start of the year and is clearly the better for it.

The 2019 Open champion prepared for this week’s return to Portrush by playing rounds at Waterville, The Island, Portmarnock, Baltray, Hogs Head and Adare Manor. And he got in nine holes here in Portrush on Sunday evening and nine more on Monday morning.

He is playing well, too. Therein lies the rub.

“Sometimes, honestly, I'm my own… Sometimes when everything is going really well I get complacent. Then all of a sudden before I know it, I'm like three-over through five and you start to have a panic because you feel like you're going to do well.

“I feel like when things are not going well is when I'm at my best, or when I don't feel like things are going well.

“Like, go back to 2019 here, I had a meltdown on the Wednesday because I thought I wasn't going to go out and play well, but then that focuses me in a little bit more. If I can keep my complacency away and my expectation down, that's when I'm at my best.

“How am I feeling? I'm feeling great the last two days, so that's not great,” he laughed. “No, honestly, I've had a great week. I've had a great week of practice. I just need to play shit for the next couple of days, and I'll be all right.” 

There’s no doubt that he is in a good place. His form, apart from the first three rounds at Augusta, at this year’s majors hasn’t been hectic, but he feels ”rejuvenated” for the time here at home and ready for the task ahead.

“I’m a better golfer than in 2019,” he said.

If there was a cloud on the horizon aside from the thunderstorms that postponed Monday’s practise for a time then it came with the first question Lowry faced at his afternoon press conference. One that focused on his celebrations in 2019 rather than the win itself.

“Interesting first question, isn't it? Here to talk about golf and all anyone wants to talk about is drinking. Yeah, I celebrated pretty well.

“Golf is a funny game like, where you lose a lot more than you win, and I've always been a firm believer that when you win, you need to try and celebrate those victories. So I did that that night.”