Houston, Texas … Shane Lowry reckons with just a week to the Masters he’s in a far better place heading to Augusta National than the ‘kid in a candy shop’ awe of a year ago.
Lowry tees up in this week’s Shell Houston Open finding himself being promoted, along with the likes of Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Patrick Reed and Swede Henrik Stenson, as one of the stars competing in suburb Humble.
And Lowry could not be in a better place either mentally and also in terms of his maturity knowing to stay focussed on the task at hand this week, and not be distracted what to expect in a week’s time.
“I am not a player who will be trying
The Irish pair of Padraig Harrington and Shane Lowry ‘chewing the fat’ ahead of this week’s Sheill Houston Open. (Photo – ©2016 Bob Straus.GolfSourse Images)
different this week just because it is the Masters or any other Major next week, as I am here in Houston striving to win this week’s Shell Houston Open,” he stated.
“So the big goal for me this week is to play well, to play all four rounds and to hopefully get myself into contention and have that winning chance come Sunday.”
Twelve months ago, Lowry was heading to Augusta National to tee-up in a maiden Masters and with a record of having won twice on the European Tour.
Lowry had cemented his place in the 2015 Masters on the back of a fifth place result in the 2014 DP World Tour Championship, an effort that saw him move inside the top-50 on the World Rankings for a first time in his career, and ultimately ensured an invitation some weeks later to compete in the Masters.
However, this year Lowry heads to Augusta as the WGC – Bridgestone Invitational champion, a victory that earned him exemption, if he sought it, on each of the game’s six leading Tours.
All Lowry was interested in was the PGA Tour and the five-year exemption in winning in Ohio, and now with a week to go, a place in the 2016 Masters.
“I am so much looking forward to going back to Augusta and especially after the disappointment of missing the cut but just one shot last year,” he said.
“Also it won’t be so much of a rush next week getting to know the place as it was last year so it’s going to be grand, and I’m already looking forward to getting there Monday and playing my first practice round.
“Also there will not be that ‘Woh factor’ next week, so I won’t be standing there next week just in awe of Augusta National, as was a little the case a year ago.
“You can’t but help feeling that way, and you try your best to have put that all behind you come the Thursday but everybody reacts differently, and you only have to look at someone like Jordan Spieth.
“He finished second his first year at the Masters in 2014 and won their last year so it’s clear he didn’t get fazed by everything that is the Masters.
“But then in the 12 months since I was at Augusta I have also accomplished so much winning the Bridgestone, cementing my place in the top-50, finished fifth on the Race to Dubai, played the EurAsia Cup and now competing full-time here on the PGA Tour.
“So my stature in the game is so different to a year ago and I feel that’s mirrored in my golf and how I carry myself, and also in my how I will approach next week.”
Shell Houston Open organisers clearly also recognise Lowry’s talent grouping him Vijay Singh and Stewart Cink for the opening two rounds of the Euro 6.92m event and with Singh and Cink between them having won four Majors.
“This week is very much like playing the Scottish Open before The Open as they have set up the course here in Houston pretty similar to how we will find in at Augusta,” said Lowry.
Joining Lowry in Houston is Padraig Harrington but staring at a Masters ‘Last Chance Saloon’.
Harrington won his way back into last year’s Masters on the back of his Honda Classic success but he’s since dropped to 128th on the World Rankings which means a win in Houston would not get him inside the top-50.
As such, the Dubliner’s last and only shot at the year’s first Major is to win in Houston and excited about his chances after a week’s family holiday in Orlando, Florida where he never touched a club.
“I know there’s only one Masters option left for me, so there’ only one way to get to Augusta and win this week,” he said.
“But then in saying that I am not focussed on next week but solely on this week, and the good thing is I also love competing here as the golf course does suit my game.”
