Shane Lowry had a close-up view of Phil Mickelson’s clever strategies in the Masters golf tournament. Despite finding his personal performance underwhelming and exasperating, particularly due to the fact that he didn’t break into a satisfying grin until delivering a final round 74 at the 14th pitfall for eight-over-par 296.
He deeply enjoyed playing alongside Mickelson, expressing delight in the spectacular shots Mickelson produced. Upon discovering Mickelson would be his partner for Masters Sunday, Lowry was eager to venture onto the course with him.
However, his aspiration of acquiring a second Major to supplement his existing 2019 Claret Jug were impeded by his performance in the first pair of rounds. Despite his subpar performance, he managed to find positivity in his improved putting skills towards the end of the event. As he prepares for the upcoming RBS Heritage event, a highlight of the PGA Tour, which is due to take place in his prefered location of Hilton Head, this positivity will come in handy.
“I played fairly well throughout the week, but was unsuccessful in avoiding a large number of bogeys. Although these weren’t grand mistakes, they gradually accumulated,” Lowry stated. Indeed, he was faced with the daunting task of grappling with 19 bogeys, as well as struggling with three-putts on six separate occasions. He commented on how failing to sink par putts when necessary can put one in a difficult position, leading to the downhill spiral he experienced. He admitted to coming to terms with the fact that he was not in contention during the previous days, but was focused on climbing as high as possible on the leaderboard.
Looking ahead, Lowry is heading to his next tour stop at Hilton Head, where he’ll be sharing accommodation with the family of Tommy Fleetwood. This will provide him the chance to unwind before stepping back out onto the golf course. He concluded by stating, “The tournament is behind me now. I’m ready to reassess and see how I can improve for next week’s challenge”.
Certainly, Lowry’s calendar indicates that he will participate in Augusta National and subsequently at Hilton Head where he came third the previous year, 2022. This will be followed by a unique two-man team tournament in which he partners with Rory McIlroy at the Zurich Classic, New Orleans. Next on his schedule is a short break before travelling to the US PGA Championship at Valhalla, marking the second Major championship of the year.
Lowry is at a point in his career where he finds himself returning to Major venues that he has formerly played at, making him feel a little older. Nonetheless, he does find comfort in revisiting these known grounds like Valhalla this year and again at Pinehurst for the US Open, along with Troon for the Open. He appreciates all these golf courses greatly.
Additionally, Lowry admits there is a significant amount of self-imposed pressure during Masters week, considering the importance of the event. However, he maintains that each tournament holds considerable importance on the tour. For him, Masters week is probably the highlight of his annual schedule. Although he expressed disappointment at his performance this year, he is optimistic about his remaining years in the sport.
Moreover, playing in the Majors currently provides him with the unique opportunity to compete alongside Phil “the Thrill”.