Shane Lowry joked he’s considering putting with a wedge when he tees-up later this month in the U.S. Open.
Lowry ended his Dubai Duty Free Irish Open with hardly any discount for his efforts managing just one birdie in a final round 77 for a 10-over par tally.
But then Lowry was not alone finishing just inside the top-50 and tied with the likes of Padraig Harrington (76), Ernie Els (72) and Miguel Angel Jimenez (76) on 10-over while England’s Lee Westwood (76) ended at 12-over par.
Lowry’s frustration had boiled over as early as the third hole on Friday when he bent the shaft in his putter while slamming the club against a metal stake used around the course to keep spectator roping in place.
Shane Lowry jokes he’ll use a wedge to putt in this month’s US Open. (Photo – www.golfbytourmiss.com)
The double Tour winner improvised using a cack-handed grip and taking just 32 putts on Friday while he managed a best of 30 putts on day three with a replacement putter.
However any joy with the ‘short stick’ was short-lived as he took 36 putts over the final round.
“I just really struggled on the greens, so I am going to have to go back to the drawing board next week as I get ready for the U.S. Open,” he said.
“I would mark myself a good 7 or 8 out of 10 tee to green but then on the greens, only a 1 or 2.
“I just lost confidence with the putter and with my best putting display with my wedge (laughing), so I may just use a wedge to putt at Chambers Bay.”
Lowry is hosting a corporate outing today (MON) at Balltray, and venue for his 2009 Irish Open triumph, before returning to the States mid next week for a sponsor engagement in New York before heading for Chambers Bay and venue for the June 18th starting U.S. Open.
Ryder Cup Captain Darren Clarke was the best of the Irish birding two of his closing four holes in a level par 71 for a six over par total.
And he too found no joy with the putter averaging 32 putts per round.
“I wasted a few 3-putts again today but then my speed was poor all week, all week, and you can’t play in these tough conditions 3-putting,” he said.
“So I’ve got a lot of work to do on my putting before I go to Chambers Bay.”
Harrington’s hope of becoming only the second Irish-born winner to win two Irish Open’s ended with just three birdies but also three bogeys, a double bogey and a 15th hole triple bogey.
“It was a disappointing finish but overall I was happy with my game,” he said.
“I missed a lot of short putts and they really killed m over the last two-and-a-half rounds.”
Harrington has a week off before he jets to Memphis and a ‘Last Chance Saloon’ attempt at qualifying for the U.S. Open.
Newcastle’s Simon Thornton failed to post a birdie in his score of 80 for a 14-over par total.
And Paul McGinley withdrew before teeing-up and complaining of a back complaint after only hitting a handful of balls on the practice range.
“I gave everything I could including two sessions of physio last night, hot bath, went to bed as early as I could, up early, had session of acupuncture and session of physio, loosening up exercise, then 40 minutes on the range,” he said
“It’s just a recurring injury and when I stopped playing on Saturday it seized up about seven last night,
“It’s one of my biggest disappointments in my whole career. Not played in five months, it’s the Irish Open, I had a good position on a bright, breezy day, a chance to move up the leader board.
“It’s great to be competing again, that’s why it hurts so much. To be doing quite reasonably well, it’s massively disappointing to have it taken away from me, in your home Open, any other tournament wouldn’t be as bad.
“Even pulling out of a Major wouldn’t have hurt as much as this.”
