Shane Lowry: ‘I have not driven out on a Sunday evening happy with myself ever here’

Shane Lowry of Ireland follows through on his drive. Pic: AP Photo/Gerald Herbert

The great contradiction that defines the Masters is that this magnificent club, with all of its horticultural wonder and illustrious history, is also capable of being remorselessly cruel. Shane Lowry has felt that sting.

It was John Steinbeck, the great American novelist, who wrote of how New York could be an ugly place with relentless traffic and murderous competition, but once “it has become your home, no place else is good enough.” 

How Lowry would love to secure permanent residency at Augusta National Golf Club.

“I have been here 11 times,” he said, standing beneath The Big Oak that flanks the first tee on a pleasant practice round day.

“Each time I have drove out Magnolia Lane, even the year I finished third, I drive out of here pretty miserable, to be honest. It is a tough sport. It is a tough place. It is just hard. I have not driven out on a Sunday evening happy with myself ever here.” 

The 2019 Open Championship has top-four finishes in all four majors including a T-3 in the 2022 Masters. He has also endured some rough days in his career and on this course too.

Lowry was three off the lead coming into Saturday last year only to tail away and conclude with a disappointing final round 81.

“I feel like my game's okay. The last week has gone well. Practice gone well. But as we all know, that doesn't mean anything when you step out a first tee on Thursday. It is in between your ears and you have to take a few punches out there on this course at certain stages. Take them well and move on.” 

Looming large is the shadow of the Cognizant Classic. He let a three-shot lead slip on the final three holes in The Palm Beaches. It rattled him.

“I felt like the season was going really well. Obviously, up to the 16th hole at Cognizant, and then it was a bit of a disaster from there for the last three holes.

“If I am being completely honest, going straight into Bay Hill, I felt like Thursday at Bay Hill came around very quickly and I really struggled around there.” 

He continued: “I probably could have done with a week off after Cognizant to let the dust settle and get back on the horse. The week off after the Players and into Houston served me well, I felt like I played really well at Houston. Houston is not a golf course that suits my game at all. 

"It is a course that I don't think I can win around. It is funny, you put yourself on the PGA Tour field, and the majority of courses, I feel like I could win around, whereas that course is just for the for the long hitters. I think that will always be the case for that. So I feel like I put in a good performance there. Practice has gone well the last few weeks. So it has been a decent enough season so far.” 

You can’t escape the weight of this tournament. With every step, a familiar image hits you. A few metres from where Lowry was talking is Tea Olive, the first hole. 

It is there where Charl Schwartzel delivered an unforgettable chip-in on his way to the 2011 crown. It is also where Jon Rahm opened with a four-putt double bogey in 2023. A dream or a nightmare.

The lesson of that latter moment, what Lowry continually stresses about this course with repetitive references of ‘acceptance,’ is that it’s not about what happens as much as it is how you respond. Rahm went on to win that year.

“There are certain shots out here that you have to take on, and if it is your time to shine it happens; if it is not, it doesn’t. It is a golf course where the margins are really, really small, where good shots can get punished, and you don’t get away with too many bad shots. So, a lot of patience but a lot of acceptance that needs to happen this week.” 

All of the allure that comes with that is obvious too. Lowry literally turns to glance towards patrons sitting in the sun in front of the clubhouse as he speaks. He can see the prize.

“I would love to be coming back here forever. I’d love to be 70 years of age and sitting out on that lawn with Rory, having a drink. We have talked about that. I would love to be that person, I would love to be going to the Champions Dinner every year. There is a lot that comes with it and you try not to think about it too much.

“I always said I’d love to be the first Irishman to win the green jacket; that obviously can’t be the case anymore, so the second would be pretty nice.”