Shane Lowry has at last made it to the esteemed East Lake Golf Club in the outskirts of Atlanta, the location of the prodigiously affluent Tour Championship that concludes the PGA Tour’s season. Despite his delayed arrival, he now seizes the opportunity of being involved in the momentous occasion.
Lowry admitted his tardiness to the championship was almost humiliating and had always aimed to participate. This year, however, he has been able to realise this ambition.
Moreover, Lowry’s vigorous campaign in the US has been noteworthy. His partnership with Rory McIlroy, which led to their victory in the Zurich Classic in New Orleans, stands as a highlight in a season graced with six top-10 finishes. The Offaly native currently stands 13th in the 30-man line-up entering the Tour Championship’s first round. Lowry, like the rest, is pursuing world number one Scottie Scheffler, as the tournament functions on a tiered reward system.
For Lowry, he begins the competition seven shots trailing Scheffler, while McIlroy stands six shots behind.
Addressing the prospect of being behind Scheffler, Lowry explained that though he practices shots with his friends daily, they simply aren’t on Scheffler, McIlroy, or Xander Schauffele’s level. To him, this is a new venture and requires a solid start. The goal is to slowly diminish the lead over the four days and see where he stands by Sunday.
Notably, catching up isn’t an impossible feat. Case in point: Rory McIlroy, who in 2022, started the Tour Championship six shots behind Scheffler and still emerged victoriously, securing his third FedEx Cup title.
Unexpectedly, Lowry’s history of not getting to East Lake might prove beneficial, now that he’s finally earned his spot in the field. The venue has been dramatically altered ever since Viktor Hovland’s victory last year, to the extent that several players compare the experience to encountering an altogether new course.
Lowry remarked how he’s completely unfamiliar with the old course, so this novelty doesn’t bother him at all. He finds it rather amusing to listen to the locker room grumbles about the changes. He’s pleased with the current lay of the course, predicting a tough game ahead. Straying off the fairways can make even achieving pars difficult and positioning the ball close to the pins would be a challenge.
Lowry anticipates that the course will prove intriguing. New golf courses often present a firm and rapid gameplay, reflecting the current conditions. He seems to be impressed by the course’s current condition- from the chipping areas and greens to other aspects. The well-maintained venue promises an exciting tournament.
Lowry, in the meantime, has been consistently pushing himself- having participated in Olympics, Wyndham, St Jude and BMW. The tour finale makes it five arduous weeks in a row. Although exhausted, he believes he has managed well enough over the weeks. He’s confident about keeping his spirits high during the challenging four-day tournament.
The whopping €89 million prize money will be divided among thirty players. The major chunk, €22.3 million, goes to the winner, which would be a good motivation for any participant. Despite an anticipated decline in energy, Lowry has an intense schedule coming up, with the Amgen Irish Open, the BMW PGA and the Spanish Open on the cards. He expects his European tour to be demanding and busy.
For the past three weeks, I’ve been separated from my family and kids. I’m on the cusp of undertaking another extensive journey back to Europe. This, for me, is perhaps the most challenging aspect. It’s difficult when you’re interacting with your kids via video call and they keep asking about your return date; knowing full well it won’t be for another three weekends. That’s always a bit tough.
Nevertheless, this is our reality and something we must tolerate. I’m looking forward to participating in two pivotal tournaments back home – the Irish Open and Wentworth. I have a deep connection with the Irish Open while I have performed admirably at Wentworth in the past and have a certain affection for the tournament.
Following these tournaments, I’ll be heading to Madrid. Despite the long period away, I look forward to getting some downtime thereafter. I anticipate ample rest this winter to prepare for 2025. Nonetheless, there’s still a fair amount of golf left for me to play.
In terms of prize money, none surpasses this week’s Tour Championship. Set in Atlanta, Georgia, USA, it boasts a total prize fund of €89 million, with €22.3m allocated to the champion. Taking place on East Lake Golf Course, a lavish 7490 yards par 71 course, the championship has been held here since its inception in 2007. The course also happens to be the former playground of the legendary Bobby Jones.
However, there have been significant modifications since Viktor Hovland’s victory last year. Andrew Green, a prestigious course architect/renovator, was entrusted to restore the course to the condition it was during Jones’ era, using archival and 1949 aerial photographs. The revamp lasted a mere ten months, during which new grass was planted on both fairways and greens, and the 14th hole was extended to a par 5.
According to Scottie Scheffler’s initial reactions on the refurbishment, the course now appears virtually new and starkly different from its previous state. The freshly laid greens are exceptionally firm, compounding its difficulty level. It could be challenging to reach some of the hole locations, and the set-up may require some familiarisation.
For the final match of the season and the FedEx Cup playoffs, only 30 players have made it to the Tour Championship and the chase for the FedEx Cup title. Starting at a favourable position, the number one player in the world, Scottie Scheffler, is leading the pack being 10 under before even taking a swing. Trailing closely behind is Xander Schauffele at eight under and Hideki Matsuyama at seven under. Rory McIlroy will have to make up ground starting at four under, while Shane Lowry opens at three under.
The reigning champion, Viktor Hovland, assessed his current performance as about a midpoint – somewhere around four or five out of ten, compared to last year’s nine out of ten. He acknowledged that, although he’s capable of good scores, he’s finding it more difficult to maintain consistency in his rounds.
As for the Irish contenders, Rory McIlroy who has won the FedEx Cup three times is teamed up with Ryder Cup mate Ludvig Aberg. They will be playing on Thursday at 6.38pm (Irish local time). For Shane Lowry, who will be participating in the Tour Championship for the first time, he will be playing alongside Adam Scott at 5.49pm.
In terms of betting odds, Scottie Scheffler doesn’t normally need a lead to outshine his competition. However, given his two-stroke advantage over Xander Schauffele and a ten-stroke difference from a group of five players that includes Justin Thomas, it’s easy to see why he has been named the top favourite at 11-10, with Schauffele at 23-10. Nonetheless, it might be worth considering Sam Burns who is currently priced at 33-1.
Fort the TV coverage, live broadcast starts from 4.15pm on Sky Sports+ and continues on Sky Sports Golf from 6pm.