THE 152ND OPEN

July 18, 2024

Shane Lowry

Press Conference

MIKE WOODCOCK: We're joined by Shane Lowry, our clubhouse leader. Shane, fantastic round today, challenging conditions. You must be pleased to get off to such a good start.

SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, I'm very happy. I went out there, lucky I watched a lot of golf this morning and I saw that the golf course was not playing easy. Yeah, just tried to go out and play my game and hit some good shots and hole a few putts, and I did that, and I'm pretty happy.

Q. I think "holed a few putts" might be a bit of an understatement. On the front nine you made everything. What were you seeing out there?

SHANE LOWRY: I came here two weeks ago, and sometimes I struggle when I come back here from playing a season on the PGA Tour with the speed of the greens, but for some reason I got here, it was my first golf outside of America in a while, and I played a couple of practice rounds here, and I was really happy with how my speed was, and I wasn't struggling to get the ball to the hole because sometimes I can be like that. My speed control was very good, and I seen my lines great.

I feel like links greens when you start to see your lines, the hole feels quite big, so it felt like that today, and long may it continue.

Q. Your lowest first-round score ever in a major. 2019 was obviously your win at Royal Portrush. Is this the best you've played in The Open since then, and how much confidence is this giving you going into the weekend?

SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, it's the best I've played -- I don't know, I've played pretty good. I'm pretty happy, but it's only one day. We've got three more days. I kept telling myself that out there because for some reason I felt like the crowd were getting very excited out there. It was late in the afternoon. A few points the attendance were high out there, I'd say. They were quite excitable out there, and it felt more like the weekend. I just kept on telling myself there's a lot more to do and there's a few days left, so I just kind of stayed in my lane and hit some good shots, and I was pretty happy with how I handled myself.

Q. Some of the early guys like Rory were saying how the wind had changed quite a bit from the practice rounds and it wasn't what they expected. What did you see from the conditions for your round?

SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, it did change a lot because we played the front nine down and the back nine into the wind in all our practice rounds. But fortunately enough I came here two weeks ago and I played this wind on the second day that I played here. I saw the golf course in every wind possible I could see it.

Yeah, I guess that was a good thing to do, and it's out there paying off a little bit today.

Q. Are you one of these guys who wakes up if you see bad weather at a major, you're quite happy?

SHANE LOWRY: No. No. I know I can deal with it and I can do it, but at the end of the day, even if the weather is bad and it's quite windy, you need to be striking the ball very good. It doesn't matter whether you like it or it's your favourite thing to play in. If you're not striking the ball good, you're not going to be in control of your ball.

Look, I wouldn't say I was the most confident ever going into today. Like my form has also been quite good, but it was also off the back of three weeks off. I had good week's practice last week at home, and I was pretty happy where I was at.

But I just wanted to go out there today and hit the ball in front of me, hit some good shots, stay out of bunkers, make a few pars and see where it left me at the end of the day. Thankfully I holed a few good putts and made a few birdies and didn't make any bogeys, and it's been a nice day.

Q. How cool was that moment on 18 getting that birdie? You said it felt like a weekend atmosphere.

SHANE LOWRY: It did, yeah. The walk down 18 was actually pretty cool. I said to Billy Foster, we walked down beside each other, and it's the greatest walk in golf, and I got to do it on a Sunday afternoon with a full house, and that's the plan, to try to get to do that again.

Q. Just wondering if you're aware that the last time you were under par after round 1 at The Open, you won.

SHANE LOWRY: Yeah. I mean, that doesn't mean anything. That was five years ago.

Q. And today was your lowest opening round in a major, as well. That's obviously a nice one to take home.

SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, look, it's good, it's great, but there's three rounds left. If I don't play well the next three rounds, it doesn't matter what I shot today. I'm fully aware that I have a job to do over the next three days. Look, I'd give anything to win this tournament again. I'd give anything to give myself a chance to win this tournament again, and that's why I'm here this week. This is obviously a great start to do that.

Q. You're a very good frontrunner in tournaments. Are you happy to be playing early tomorrow and keep the pedal to the metal?

SHANE LOWRY: I don't really mind. Like it's going to be a quick turnaround for tomorrow, so get out there and get after it again, and hopefully get yourself a late tee time on Saturday and you have a good bit of time off. Generally I prefer early Thursdays, late Friday, but that's just the way I am. Yeah, hopefully I can get out tomorrow --

Look, I think conditions are going to be similar tomorrow. I'm not sure. I haven't really looked at the forecast. And if they are, it's not going to be easy, and pars are going to be good. That's kind of the game plan.

Q. You like playing from the front, though, don't you?

SHANE LOWRY: It's just hard to get there. Going against the best golfers in the world, it's hard to get to the front. When you do get to the front, you kind of have to keep going and keep your foot down, and yeah, see where it leaves you at the weekend.