Fellow Open Champion, Rory McIlroy has afforded now fellow Major Champion and Irishman Shane Lowry some timely advice.
After two weeks of celebrating his Royal Portrush triumph, Lowry has returned to work for this week’s Northern Trust, but unlike past visits to New York, including three years ago when he got married with just a photographer present, Lowry found himself mobbed as he and wife, Wendy made their way to the top of the Empire State Building.
The fact Lowry was carrying the most recognised trophy in golf also helped in the Irishman being noticed.
It was much the same when Lowry took to the Liberty National course on Tuesday for a first official practice round in his very first FedEx Cup Play-Off Series event.
And McIlroy found himself being asked ahead of the $US 9.25m event what advice he could offer to his fellow Irishman and fellow Major Champion.
“Everyone knows Shane well enough to know that he will wear being Open Champion very well and take it in his stride,” said McIlroy.
“If anything, for Shane, some of that anonymity he enjoyed in the past, and in Ireland, is probably going to be gone, and from experience that is not necessarily a great thing as it’s nice to hide away and not have people know who you are and feel like you are on display all the time.
“The only thing that Shane needs to do is to manage his time well and it’s what I tell anyone who asks me as you have to remember what got you there, and you can’t neglect what got you there.
“At this point though Shane is two to three weeks removed from winning the Open and you still have to let it sink in. You still have to enjoy it. I played nine holes with him on Tuesday and I said to him to make sure that you do enjoy it because in golf we are always looking at the next week or your attention like this week turns to the FedEx Cup.
“I think there has been times where I have not celebrated my own wins enough and looking back, that is something you really need to do.
“You lose in golf more often then you win, so you have to celebrate those wins as much as you can.”
McIlroy is contesting the event for a sixth occasion having made his debut in 2012, with the event then known as the Barclay Championship.
Lowry, ranked 20th on the FedEx Cup points table, is making his debut in the lucrative ‘Play-Offs’ whereas Graeme McDowell, ranked 54th, needs to remain inside the top-70 to move onto next week’s BMW Championship at Medinah near Chicago.
Tee times (Irish time)
13.05 Shane Lowry
13.16 – Rory McIlroy
17.22 – Graeme McDowell
Leave a comment