Shane Lowry has expressed his disappointment for fellow Irishman Rory McIlroy in failing to capture last Sunday’s Masters but he’s also critical of the reception afforded new Masters Champions, Patrick Reed.
Much has been said of McIlroy posting a closing round 74 to finish six shots behind Reed, with many observers singling out McIlroy’s inability to eagle the second hole as pivotal in his eventual downturn.
Lowry had failed to qualify for the Masters and he and his family returned home to Ireland with his wife, Wendy, bridesmaid at a wedding and Lowry joined Joe Molloy and Peter Lawrie on Off The Ball.com ‘Golf Weekly’ and one of the topics discussed was The Masters.
Molloy asked Lowry, after quizzing the Offlay golfer on life now in the States, what he thought of McIlroy’s showing at Augusta National?
“That tee shot at the first clearly threw Rory off and the fact is that Rory McIlroy doesn’t hit shots like that but then he regrouped to save par and then hit two great shots into the second,” said Lowry.
“I believe if he had of holed that eagle attempt he would have definitely contended on the back nine. But he hit that great shot into the second and then missed the putt, and then you find yourself not trusting yourself for the rest of the day.”
“Peter (Lawrie) and I have both experienced that and it’s a case of just not trusting yourself. Unfortunately for Rory it was on was Sunday at the Masters and all the pressure was on him.”
“The thing is also they then showed highlights of Rory’s putting over the front nine and he just missed so many, and if he had of holed any of those he would have been in contention over the back nine.”
“The thing also is there is a reason why only five golfers in the world have won the Grand Slam. Hopefully one day Rory will join that club but it is obviously very difficult to achieve though he has many more chances, and something like 15-years to win the Masters”.
And the reaction towards Reed, who has been perceived as unpopular and dragging up issues that have been mentioned many years ago with regards to his relatonship with his parents and his sister, was something Lowry found disappointing.
“It’s disappointing that the guy has the best day of his whole life and then people start bringing up stuff from the past,” he said.
“I don’t know the chap very well but I have had some dealings with him and I’ve never found anything bad about him personally. There are guys out there who don’t have much to say about him or much good to say about him but I just find it very disappointing that he’s after having the best day of his life, winning the best tournament of his career and people always bring up the past.”
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