Shane Lowry will have a familiar face on the bag for the next few weeks with confirmation that Darren Reynolds will step in as caddie until the Masters, and if all goes well, maybe earn the lucrative role full-time.
The news comes following Lowry’s decision to part ways with Brian ‘Bo’ Martin following a disappointing start to the season for the bearded duo. Sources suggested the competitive spark was no longer there between the pair which makes Lowry’s latest appointment of Reynolds interesting.
Lowry and Reynolds briefly worked together in the summer of 2020 when ‘Bo’ took time off to be with his new-born baby and it was a dynamic that Lowry struggled with for much the same reasons as those that brought an end to his professional relationship with Martin.
“Bo [and his wife, Orla] were having another baby and I had a good friend, Darren Reynolds, caddying for me and I didn’t perform for two months,” he told Paul Kimmage last year.
“I didn’t feel I could be myself with Darren. It was all too nice. I’m a competitor, and I’m out there trying to do my best and people think … I keep saying ‘people think’ but what do I care what people think.”
No doubt Lowry and Reynolds would’ve had a conversation to address their previous shortcoming as a working team, not least given their first assignment together is this week’s $20m WM Phoenix Open.
With another $20m event upcoming at Riviera, as well as the Honda, Bay Hill, The Players Championship and the Masters on the horizon, this is a huge opportunity for Reynolds to stake his claim for one of the most coveted bags in the game.
Reynolds has no shortage of experience having previously caddied for Paul McGinley, Lucas Bjerregaard, Paul Dunne and Antoine Rozner whom he helped to multiple tour victories on the DP World Tour.
He also has the small matter of being Irish on his side, something Lowry no doubt looks for in a bagman. Let’s hope the pair hit it off this week in Phoenix.
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