Paul McGinley: I've absolutely no worries whatsoever about Shane Lowry coming back into form
NO WORRIES: EY Ireland Managing Partner, Frank O’Keeffe announces EY’s commercial sponsorship of the Junior Ryder Cup alongside ambassador Paul McGinley. Pic: Naoise Culhane.
Paul McGinley has backed Shane Lowry to return to form and the timing could not be better with The 154th Open Championship looming at Royal Birkdale next week.
Question marks have been raised about Lowry’s competitiveness after the 2019 Open champion at Portrush missed out on tour titles from winning positions at both Palm Beach on the PGA Tour and at the Dubai Invitational on the DP World Tour at the start of this season.
Yet while McGinley acknowledges his fellow Irishman’s confidence has been bruised by those outcomes, the former European Ryder Cup-winning captain believes next week’s major at Royal Birkdale could be tailor made for Lowry to “get back on the horse”.
McGinley was speaking at EY Ireland’s Dublin headquarters on Tuesday as the global accountancy giant announced it had become the first presenting sponsor of the Junior Ryder Cup, the mixed team match play event between Europe and the United States of America, being staged next September at Limerick’s Ballyneety Golf Club and Adare Manor.
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Lowry parted with caddie Darren Reynolds after two years following his missed cut at last month’s US Open at Shinnecock Hills and re-hire Dermot Byrne, who had been on the bag for his greatest triumph, lifting the Claret Jug on Irish soil seven years ago.
Clearly looking for a change in fortunes having gone without a top 20 finish since his tie for second place at the Cognizant Classic in The Palm Beaches in February.
Byrne took the role at the Travelers Championship the week following the US Open and will be on the bag as Lowry competes in this week’s Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick.
"Sometimes a freshing up is a good thing and a caddie can do that,” McGinley said.
"I have absolutely no worries at all about Shane, I really don't. Professional golf is not a straight line. Everybody has lulls, up and down.
"I certainly think that not winning in Palm Beach there during the year and not winning in Dubai were two great chances and certainly affected him and there's a bit of a knock on effect from that.
"All it will take now to get him back on the horse again is one good performance again and when he does get it he's well capable of winning again.
"The Open should suit him. His game is still so good. You look at his underlying statistics, I always look for that, because the trends underneath tell you if there's something wrong with a player, you can see a big dip in any of the categories. There's nothing there, he's just doesn't have the confidence about getting over the line that he certainly had.
"You look at what he did in the Ryder Cup last year. So what I said to him was 'Listen, you would swap not winning Dubai and not winning in Palm Beach for what you did at the Ryder Cup.
"For people to say that he can't handle the pressure, ‘the head's gone’, what he did in the cauldron of the Ryder Cup was incredible.
"Remember when all the momentum was going against them, that's what was so impressive, because things were going really pear-shaped for Europe.
"For him to be able to come down those last few holes and bury that last hole the way he did, I mean it was just phenomenal.
"So, I have absolutely no worries whatsoever about Shane coming back into form, this is just the natural evolution of being a professional golfer, it's just swings and roundabouts.
"He's on a little bit of a roundabout but he can start swinging again soon, excuse the pun, I have absolutely no worries about that.
"He really is a world-class player and in terms of making the team next year, he's such a huge personality in that team, he's been such a huge part of the last few Ryder Cups.
"You talk about culture in the team, and again, having been involved myself and around the team a lot last year and being around them, Shane is massively influential in the success of the team.
"That's not just in terms of how he plays, but in his personality, so, you know, he's certainly one of those guys that will be a very, very strong chance at the 'pick' if he doesn't make it to the top six.
"That's how important he is and everybody knows that very much."
McGinley also welcomed EY’s backing of the Junior Ryder Cup, which will be staged September 14-16, 2027, the eve of the men’s main event, with the final-day singles matches set to be played out at Adare Manor on the final practice day for this latest edition of biennial Europe-USA clash.
“This partnership is a real vote of confidence by EY not only in junior golf but in our younger sports men and women generally.
“The Junior Ryder Cup is a fantastic event that really tests those who get to compete at this level. Competitors will have to work closely together, manage the stress and pressure of the competition and keep calm heads to ensure a successful outcome.
“The fact that final day singles matches will be played at Adare Manor, offers an unparalleled experience for the junior players who will get to compete in front of a Ryder Cup crowd on a Ryder Cup course; something that is extremely special and will be a defining moment in their sporting lives. I’m really looking forward to being part of it.”
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