Shane Lowry: ‘It was the most nervous I’ve ever been on the first tee’
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The last man standing at Royal Portrush, Shane Lowry, tells TG about that special week in 2019.
In this candid interview, Shane Lowry opens up about the nerve-wracking pressure, the mental resilience that carried him through, and the unforgettable feeling of hearing his name echo across Ireland after he won The Open in 2019. Plus, he shares the wild lengths some fans went to just to be part of the action – private planes included…
When you think back to 2019, is there a moment or a single shot that stands out above all others?
There’s a few. Saturday evening was probably the most special couple of hours I’ve had on the golf course. Finishing the way I did, I think my 4-iron on 16 was the shot. You picture it and when you visualize shots, a lot of the times they don’t come off. But that was exactly what I’d drawn up.
I went and birdied the hole and it’s not called Calamity for nothing. It’s a very tough par-3 and when I went and birdied 17, at that stage I felt like I could birdie every hole the way I was playing. And when you hit shots like that under pressure, that kind of gives you the confidence to go ahead and do what I did on Sunday.
What was it like, playing in front of a home crowd with so much support?
It was the most nervous I’ve ever been on the first tee on a Thursday, that’s the one thing that sticks out in my head. The first tee on Sunday was nearly easier than the first tee on Thursday. But I say nearly because the first tee on Sunday wasn’t a great place. It was quite intimidating and you could feel the expectation. But it was very special. As the week went on, the crowds got bigger and bigger. It was something that I’ll look back on and be forever grateful for.
Despite the nerves, you were still able to get the job done. What does that say about your mental resilience?
I believe that that day on the course I was mentally as good as I have ever been. I remember, I said to [coach] Neil [Manchip] that morning, “I have no choice but to go out and win today.”
The level of expectation went through the roof that day, probably more than ever. And look, when we go back to Portrush, there’s going to be a level of expectation there for me again. But you have to deal with it, figure out a way to get on with it, and just go and play your game and see what happens.
Is it tough as well, making the transition from target golf to links golf? How long does it take you to get match sharp?
I think when you live in the US and play on the PGA Tour, your game naturally gets away from that links-style golf. That’s why, historically, you get players going to Ireland a week before The Open or playing in the Scottish Open, because you need that week or two to get your game in shape. But I always say, if you give me three or four days on a links course, off that turf, I’ll figure it out.
I don’t like to play the week before. I’m very fortunate that I spend my summer in Ireland, so the week before The Open I’ll take it off, and I’ll go round to Portmarnock and all these great golf courses that we have, to practise and get myself ready.
The population of your hometown in Clara is about 3,500. How many tickets do you think you’ll need for Portrush once all the requests have come through?
I’m sure I’ll be reaching into my contact list at The R&A to try and get as many tickets as I can. I remember the last time [2019] I had my own house, but there was another house with my dad and I’m sure there was well into double figures staying there on the Saturday night.
I know people were driving up on the Sunday, and to be honest that’s why you have a team around you. You don’t want to have to deal with that stuff. I’m sure they pulled tickets out of places that I didn’t know existed for people on that Sunday because everybody I knew was there.
There’s this one guy I know, he doesn’t have much money, but he hired his own little private plane. You ought to see the thing he flew up on from Kerry to Portrush on the Sunday to get there. I don’t know what he paid for it, but people really did their best to get there. And that was the coolest thing about Portrush, to be honest, because had it been played in England or Scotland, my mum wouldn’t have come over on the Sunday. To have my mum and other people there at the back of the 18th green was very, very special.
You said before that if you could have chosen any tournament in your career to win, it would have been The Open at Portrush. What’s second on your list?
The Open in 2025. I’ve said that since I won it. When I’m finished, if you give me all the tournaments I’ve played and I can pick one to win, it would be The Open. And there wouldn’t even be a close second to it. The Masters is something that I’d love to win but any of the four majors I’d be happy with to get another one. I’d take anything right now, to be honest.
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Shane Lowry at Royal Portrush in 2019
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Shane Lowry with the Claret Jug in 2019
