BMW PGA CHAMPIONSHIP

September 11, 2021

Shane Lowry

Wentworth Golf Club

Quick Quotes

Q. How pleased are you with your performance today?

SHANE LOWRY: It was good. I got off to a great start today again like I have every other day and I just played nine through 15, I actually played the holes pretty well and missed a few chances and then all of the sudden one mistake and I make bogey and then birdie 17. I really felt like that putt was going to go in on the last, if I shot 2-under I would have been disappointed whereas 3-under, 11-under for the tournament, hopefully the leaders won't go too far away.

Q. How are you feeling about this week in general? You've made no bones about what it would mean to be part of this team going to Whistling Straits. How have you coped with it?

SHANE LOWRY: I feel like I had a great chance to make the team in 2016 and threw that away. Missed a few cuts in a row and felt like I was there after the U.S. Open, but then shied away from it a little bit. Whereas the last few months I fought as hard as I could and went out every day and tried my best and thankfully it's been good. Who knows whether it will be good enough.

Tomorrow, first and foremost in my head is trying to win this one. I love this place. I love coming here. It's such a big event. I truly would love to win the tournament and I think if I win the tournament -- yeah, it's been a stressful enough week. I'm very happy the way I've performed.

Q. How important is it to give your utmost to make sure you're trying to qualify?

SHANE LOWRY: No, I don't mind once I'm there. I don't really care once I'm on that flight next Monday morning to Milwaukee or whatever it is. Obviously I'd love to make the team and I've tried to make the team all year and I'm close, I'm very close. But Bernd is obviously having a great week and fair play to him. I was keeping an eye on his score, and he was having a good performance and he's played some good golf.

I feel I've got some good golf under my belt the past few months and hopefully I can make the team or be part of the team.

Q. Potentially one round of golf away now. What do you do mentally to putt yourself in the best place tomorrow?

SHANE LOWRY: I've got my dad here this week, and we were talking, can't remember the last time he was at a tournament and it will be good having him there for moral support on the course. It's been a great week so far and hopefully I can finish it off so far.

Q. You're potentially one round of golf away from something you've made no bones about saying you want to achieve, being part of The Ryder Cup Team that goes to Whistling Straits. How do you deal with the challenge ahead?

SHANE LOWRY: It's been a stressful week but I'm proud of myself and the way I've handled it and played some good golf and put myself in position. It's up to me going out and try to relax as much as I can. I've been in big, high-pressure situations before and I'm not going to back down or shy away. I'm going to go out tomorrow and work as hard as I can to achieve my career-long goal.

I mean, I've played The European Tour, this is my 11th or 12th season, it's one of the things you want to do and I'm 34 now and time is ticking away. Not only do I want to be part of the team but I want to be part of the winning team. I feel like I can add a lot to that if I do get to Whistling Straits and hopefully I can do that tomorrow.

Q. Monumental amount of pressure coming into this week. What have you learned about yourself and how well you've dealt with it and putting yourself in a position to win the Flagship Event on The European Tour?

SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, look, this tournament is probably -- it's definitely my favorite event on The European Tour. It's one of my favourite events playing. I love coming here. I love the golf course. From day one I've got a good record here. I've shot some great scores and I really want to go out there tomorrow and challenge for the title. I would love to be standing on that 18th green tomorrow holding that trophy. So I'm going to relax this evening and go out tomorrow morning and hopefully shoot a good score and give myself a chance.

Q. A really positive round in a lot of ways but are you frustrated with a couple of the putts that slipped past?

SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, I was 3-under through eight and felt like I gave myself chances on the next four or five holes and didn't hole any of them. Hit some great putts I felt today that didn't go in. You're going to have days like that. I was really happy to hole that putt on the last. That was huge for me to shoot 69, as opposed to 70. Hopefully not too far behind the leaders going into tomorrow and hopefully I can go out and give myself a chance.

Q. Looking at the chances today, if you convert them tomorrow and play the same tomorrow, that's a lot of confidence that there are low scores out there?

SHANE LOWRY: I'm 11-under for the tournament and I feel I haven't got the most out of my golf this week. I feel I've played some really good golf around this place and I love this place and I feel like I know my way around here.

I feel like I've played some great golf. Yesterday I shot 66 but felt that could have been better and felt the first round could have been better and I felt today could have been better. Hopefully it comes together tomorrow and I shoot a good score and have a chance to win the trophy going down 17 or 18.

Q. Also the matter of The Ryder Cup, you've been in and out and back in and out. Getting an automatic pick, is that in the back of your mind?

SHANE LOWRY: It is. I want to make the team and obviously I want to be on the team so I want to play my best golf and show Paddy that I've got what it takes. I think I have shown that over the last few months. I've played some really good golf. But obviously it's his decision and who knows what him and his vice captains are going to do tomorrow evening, especially if a few things go -- you know, who knows what could happen. There's a few permutations that could happen tomorrow. We just to wait and see but I'll try and go out and play my best golf and try to win this tournament and then if I do that, I think I'll be okay.

Q. Another good day for you. You're swinging beautifully at the moment.

SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, look, I've had some quite good results over the last few months. I haven't won or I've not been really there on a Sunday. I've been there or thereabouts, some nice finishes and really solid performances. I feel like I'm not far away and I hope tomorrow is the day that I can string it all together. It's been a great few months of golf but a little bit frustrating at times because I feel like I'm playing golf to win tournaments and I feel like I haven't been doing that. Hopefully I can go tomorrow and it will all come together and shoot a good score and give myself a chance.

Q. Is it all about the tournament or is it The Ryder Cup dynamic playing on your mind?

SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, look, it's funny, isn't it, because I think no matter what happens with the tournament tomorrow, if I'm named on that team at half-seven tomorrow evening, I'll be the happiest man in Ireland going home. It's an interesting one, isn't it. I think I obviously want to win this tournament. This tournament has been, you know, my favourite tournament to come play in on The European Tour since I've come here 11 years ago. I want to win this tournament. I definitely want to win this tournament. This is our major and this is our Flagship Event and to have this title beside my name would be pretty cool.

Yes, I want to go out and win the tournament but obviously I want to be on that team as well.

Q. How much has Pádraig Harrington said to you?

SHANE LOWRY: He's not saying much this week actually. He's been pretty quiet. Yeah, he's not been -- we have not had dinner, which as I said, it's the first tournament we've played together in years that we haven't had a dinner this week. Yeah, he's obviously very busy and he's got a lot going on.

I imagine the refresh button on his phone is nearly broken at the minute looking at the team and the permutations and what's happened. Yeah, I haven't really spoken to him much this week.