Well worth the listen.
Shane Lowry was on this week’s No Laying Up podcast and, from start to finish, from topics such as Wentworth celebrations to LIV talk to Portrush memories, it’s good as gold.
It all starts with a bang as, having been asked about last weekend’s win and the night that followed, Lowry tells Chris ‘Soly’ Soloman that he celebrated hard, but not as hard as Rory McIlroy.
“Sunday night was good, it was nice. A few friends came over and we had a place in the hotel with food and drink.
“Rory called down and I think he was one of the last to leave, I was in bed before him!
“So he was still celebrating his Fed-Ex win. I was actually in bed at 12.00 believe it or not, because I had a golf day the following day,” said the 35-year-old.
And, early night or late night, celebration or no celebration, Lowry feels that the popular perception of him is slightly overblown.
“I do like a drink,” he says.
“I probably don’t drink as much as people might think. It’s not like I’m sitting at home every evening.
“I do like to go meet my friends and enjoy myself but I very rarely to get to do it these days, I’m living in Florida. But when I do get home, I do like to do that. Like after the open, I made it pretty clear that we celebrated hard that week. But I’m all for, like, in this game, it’s very hard to win big tournaments, so when you do win, you need to celebrate it.”
This one means a lot ☘️🏆 pic.twitter.com/gtOCYWp7AZ
— Shane Lowry (@ShaneLowryGolf) September 11, 2022
It couldn’t be avoided, could it? The topic of LIV golf came up soon after and, on the million dollar question, the Offaly man spoke nothing but sense. There’s no doubt in his mind that some golfers are getting carried away with visions of their own importance.
“This thing of golfers feeling like they’re worth 100 million dollar contracts, like we’re not the NFL at the end of the day. We’re not the NBA. In my opinion, we are a smaller sport than those, and we do need to be careful. I hate at the minute, how divisive golf is. And I think if we divide our top players could be in trouble. I’m not worried about anything else other than the sport in general.
“I felt it was ‘awkward,” he says of the LIV crew’s presence in London last week.
“Lads that I’ve been very good friends with and become quite close with, I don’t think it’s going to tarnish our friendship. But I just won’t see them. I said that to G-Mac, I just won’t see ya. I found it very awkward, I personally didn’t like seeing a couple of the of players there, that were there. If I was one of those players that had went to LIV, I definitely wouldn’t have been there.”
“I just think it’s just disgusting the amounts of money that we’re talking about (in terms of winning tournaments.) The general Joe soap, a guy that works his nuts off to pay 50 grand a year and has a struggle maybe even to pay his membership at his golf club. This is probably pissing him off more than anyone.”
Fresh off his victory at Wentworth, @ShaneLowryGolf chats BMW PGA, winning The Open at Portrush, the future of the DP World Tour, his decision to not pursue a LIV contract, and some outstanding stories from his first Ryder Cup.
Apple: https://t.co/7jQSVhKult pic.twitter.com/aVvbvJUQZ9
— No Laying Up (@NoLayingUp) September 15, 2022
Chris ‘Soly’ Solomon clearly knows his golf and, between them, the boys went onto discuss Irish golf courses, and that was when Shane named his top four.
“My favourite links course is Portmarnock. And my favourite course to go and play is Adare Manor. What JP has done is incredible. It’s one of my favourite places in the world to play golf with my friends.”
“I was there a few weeks ago, Dooks golf course (Kerry.) The views were incredible. I want to get back and play there. Off the beaten track, probably, the best course in Ireland off the beaten track – it would get a few visitors but not many – would be Enniscrone.”
You can listen to the full, brilliant ‘No Laying Up podcast’ here.
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