	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

ALFRED DUNHILL LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

September 30, 2015

Shane Lowry

Carnoustie-Kingsbarns, Scotland

PAUL SYMES: Many thanks for joining us. Your first appearance since your win at Bridgestone. A lot of changes for you since then.

SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, it has. I've been able to take a few weeks off and I've enjoyed my win, and then the last few weeks I decided to get back and reassess and try to set some goals going forward. When something like that happens, tough to get my head around. It would be easy for me to sit back the rest of the year, say I've won a massive tournament and sit back at Christmas and be happy with that.

I'm kind of looking forward and looking to do a few more things in the next few weeks and I'm hoping to see another win hopefully and hoping to contend a few tournaments and finish at the top.

PAUL SYMES: This week, links golf and your partner this week.

SHANE LOWRY: It's great. I've got Gerry McManus. I got paired with him the first year I played and played every year since. We get on well, he's a good player and like I said, we get on well, that's the main thing. Makes a six-hour round feel a lot shorter. The weather here this week is amazing, as well.

Q. Is there an eagerness to get back to playing again?
SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, I'm sure there probably will be a little bit of rust but I've played a lot of games the last few weeks, a lot of games with a lot of friends. I've played a lot of golf which is what I do on my weeks off. I'm sure there is going to be a bit of rust there somewhere but I feel like I'm playing well. Feel like I've never had a break at all.

But I do feel like my hunger is back, and that's kind of what I wanted to get after a few weeks off. Sometimes when you go through a long season and after a win like this, if you keep playing, golf can kind of catch up with you and you can get burned out. I'm hoping those weeks off will stand me not only this week but when it comes to the end of the year and The Race to Dubai and things like that.

Q. How big a goal is The Ryder Cup and Final Series and things coming up with the win?
SHANE LOWRY: Obviously I felt like I've been playing well all year. Feel like I haven't been getting much out of it. Then went to Firestone and didn't really have many expectations. I didn't practise great that week but got there and got the job done and I played great.

It was amazing, to win a tournament like that against -- whether it be any tournament, to beat those players down the stretch, it's going to give you a lot of confidence going forward.

And when I'm in that situation again, I know I can do it. It's amazing and it's giving me a lot of confidence. Planning my schedule next year, I'm in every tournament. As regards Ryder Cup, I felt like the last Ryder Cup probably came a year too early for me. I feel like a year later, I can make the next team and I really want to make the next team and that's probably my main goal for the next five months.

Q. How has your mind-set changed?
SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, I've always felt like I belong but obviously when you're not playing great or not getting results, you do doubt yourself the odd time. I'll always have that now that I have done what I did a few weeks ago.

How has my mind-set changed, I'm not sure. I played the PGA and was a bit of a messy week to be honest. Was tired and all that. I would say my mind-set changed a little bit, just not try and force a win. It's hard to win, so if I'm not winning, I'm not going to get frustrated. Just keep playing my game and keep contending.

If I can give myself chances going into Sundays, if I'm not pulling them off, I'll keep giving myself chances. That's what I want to do the next 12 months and towards the end of the year. If I can give myself a couple of chances to win and contend, I'll be happy enough.

Q. How has your life changed?
SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, I don't feel like it has. I feel like I'm the same person. I just managed to be -- (Inaudible.) It's just easier for me to sit there with the lads back home -- like the start of the year this year, it was all invites and not playing for four weeks because I couldn't get into a tournament in the States or stuff like that.

But next year, I can have a plan going forward and that's the big thing for me. It's great to be able to do that. It's great to be able to plan for that. As regards Ryder Cup, I feel like you need to be in all the big tournaments, and hopefully I'll be there next year.

Q. Do you think there is a next step to a major -- at The Scottish Open, you were among the favorites for that, and now with the WGC, you have confidence from having done that -- if it happens, it happens?
SHANE LOWRY: It's hard to say. Majors are four times a year. For me, like I don't see myself ever trying to tweak my game for majors because I think that's quite hard to do. So like yeah, I know if I put myself in a position, I can win a major over. I just hope I'm playing well next year, and going forward the years after.

I do feel like I can win a major. There's no reason why not. I won that tournament in Firestone but there's no reason I can't win a major. I'm not saying I'm going to go out and do it next year, but if I give myself a chance I know I can.

Q. What's the secret in Irish golf; is there a secret formula that Ireland has?
SHANE LOWRY: I don't know. Actually I had dinner with the lads last night and they are obviously in great spirits. It's their first week. I don't know, people say there's a secret but I remember a few years ago people back home writing about, what's going wrong with the GUI and all this.

I think it comes in waves and obviously the five lads this year have done really well, and I think it's just a bit of a coincidence. The GUI do have a great setup back home in Carton House. Neil obviously is the coach there and he's a great person, and I'm sure he's been great for the lads the last couple of years. He's a great mentor and he's a great mentor ^for me, as well.

I'm not sure there's a secret but if there is a secret, I'm sure he could sell it. I think GUI, they do a great job for the young lads, but I think it's just kind of a coincidence that the lads coming through now are all the same age and the same standard.

PAUL SYMES: Great stuff, thanks Shane. Have a great week.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297