Ireland’s talented Shane Lowry’s delighted to be back in Europe and confident he’s turned the corner after his early season disappointments.
The former Irish Open winner returned from injury to miss the cut in his first three events before a welcome return to form with a share of 13th in last week’s Ballantine’s Championship in South Korea.
Ireland's Shane Lowry works on his bunker play as coach, Neil Manchip looks on. (Pic - 2011 Spanish Open).
It was the Esker Hill star’s best finish since a seventh last July in Scotland.
Now as one of four Irish contesting this week’s Spanish Open, Lowry is looking to continue a welcome return to form in Barcelona.
“My result in South Korea was a big turning point for me but then to be honest I never had any doubt I would,” said Lowry.
“It was just a matter of regaining a bit of confidence back and certainly regained that last week in Seoul because I felt I played good enough to contend.
“I had 18 birdies and an eagle over the four days and but for a couple of dropped shots, I could have been right up there given Lee (Westwood) finished just seven shots ahead of me.”
Lowry left the South Korean capital on Monday morning local time and travelled via Paris and onto Barcelona where he was joined by Carton House based coach, Neil Manchip.
The pair has spent the last three days on the Real Club de Golf El Prat course including yesterday’s Pro-Am when Manchip walked in the company of Lowry.
“Neil comes out on Tour quite a bit and the great thing is that I’ve known him since my amateur days,” said Lowry.
“In fact, I remember I was 17 years of age when I first met Neil in the first week in his job as the Irish national head coach, so we go back a long way.
“Neil’s been very good for me and he gets me in the right frame of mind to play golf, so it’s good to have him out here assisting me.”
And after securing his best finish since a seventh in last July’s Scottish Open, Lowry is confident also now of taking his South Korean form into a run of events now in Europe proper.
“I’m playing these two weeks then taking a week off before the BMW PGA at Wentworth and then the Wales Open, Italy and the two Major qualifiers,” he said.
“So I looking at this week as the start of the business end of the season for me, and it’s just great now after all the travelling to be back in Europe.
“I’m just looking forward now to be getting back home on a Sunday nights.”
