Folk hero Shane Lowry is set to announce he’s turning professional at a Dublin city centre hotel on Thursday. But his new manager, Horizon Sports’ Conor Ridge, has rubbished suggestions that the shock Irish Open winner can become an overnight millionaire.
Manager to tour winners Graeme McDowell and Michael Hoey, Ridge said: “I don’t want to sound negative on that but I think a dose of realism is required around here.
No Responses » Padraig Harrington confessed that he needs a war of attrition at Turnberry if he is to complete a hat-trick of Open wins. The Dubliner played the famous Ailsa Course for the first time yesterday and immediately started praying for hard and fast conditions that would give him a mental edge over his rivals.
Turnberry is famous for the 1977 “Duel in the Sun” when Tom Watson outgunned Jack Nicklaus in a birdie fest. But Harrington believes the tougher the conditions, the better his chances of becoming the first man to win three Claret Jugs in a row since Australian Peter Thompson pulled off the feat in 1956.
Graeme McDowell believes Shane Lowry must turn professional to keep his Irish Open buzz. But he reckons it’s “embarrassing” that Padraig Harrington is skipping the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
Declaring himself 75 percent fit after shin splints forced him out of the 3 Irish Open, McDowell insisted that Lowry simply can’t return to the amateur game. A possible future stablemate of Lowry’s at Horizon Sports, McDowell said: “The Walker Cup is a fantastic event but it’s a long time to be waiting, a very long time.
Shock Irish Open winner Shane Lowry has given his one of his amateur pals the secret to his amazing success – his Baltray strokesaver. Best buddy Dara Lernihan – one of five Irishmen in the GB&I Walker Cup squad – feels inspired by Lowry’s incredible win and plans a repeat performance when he tees it up at the Irish Open venue for next week’s East of Ireland Amateur Open.
Dubliner, Lernihan said: “I’m back at Baltray for the East next week and I’ll have Shane’s strokesaver in my back pocket. Hopefully it will bring me a little luck.
Irish Open hero Shane Lowry will take the plunge into the pro ranks next week. That’s the view of a source close to the Offaly ace, who revealed that Ireland’s third European Tour winner this season will make his debut in the European Open at The London Golf Club in Kent from May 28-31.
Shane Lowry will soon be bidding for more titles on tourThe news will be a blow to Walker Cup skipper Colin Dalgleish, who was hoping to have the 3 Irish Open champion on the 10-man Great Britain and Ireland side bidding to win back the trophy on American soil in September.
Walker Cup skipper Colin Dalgleish is begging Shane Lowry to listen to Padraig Harrington and put his pro plans on hold. The Scot is desperate to frighten the life of the Yanks by sending out the Irish Open champion to win back the trophy at Merion from September 12-13.
Colin Dalgleish and Rory McIlroy at the 2007 Walker Cup venue, Royal County Down.Anxiously waiting for a call from his No 1 star, Dalgleish said: “It think it would be great if he stayed for the Walker Cup. It is one thing for me to be telling Shane that but when Padraig Harrington is telling him to take his time, I agree with that 100 percent.
Shane Lowry was once better known for his scorer’s hut errors than for his successes on the golf course.
But that reputation for self-inflicted misfortune changed a long time before the 3 Irish Open at Baltray, where he produced a performance that not only captured the hearts of sports fans everywhere but showed that this is a golfer who can compete at the very highest level.
Gary Murphy wants to continue his Baltray love affair by grabbing his breakthrough win at the course where he met his wife.
Frustrated that he’s still winless after 236 tour starts, Murphy lives just down the road from the course and confessed that he’s frustrated that he hasn’t joined the Irish tour winning bandwagon.
“Wild Thing” John Daly knows it won’t be a breeze to beat the Baltray wind and grab his first tour win for five years at The 3 Irish Open.
But the two-time major winner, 43, is hoping to continue his hot run of form and claw his way back from the doldrums to become a force again.
European Ryder Cup skipper Colin Montgomerie will have an extra wild card pick when he attempts to find a side to win back the trophy at Celtic Manor next year.
The Scot got wanted three picks instead of two and got the decision he wanted after a marathon three-hour meeting of the Tournament Players Committee at Irish Open venue Baltray.