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THE EUROPEAN OPEN

May 27, 2009

Shane Lowry

ASH, ENGLAND

MICHAEL GIBBONS: Shane, thanks for joining us, welcome to The European Open. Welcome to the world of professional golf. Been a quiet couple of weeks for you? (Laughter) Why don't you bring us up to speed on sort of how the last couple of weeks have been since winning in Ireland and we'll go from there.
SHANE LOWRY: It's been madness over the last couple of weeks. I'm just starting to calm down now; this is the last thing I'm going to do before teeing it up tomorrow. I just can't wait to get out on the golf course to be honest, and it's a lot more peaceful out there.
It's been great. It can't be a bad thing, all of at tension, so I've enjoyed it, and hopefully there's a lot more to come.

Q. Have you had time to work on your game, all the madness?
SHANE LOWRY: No, actually I haven't. I played yesterday here, practice round, and before that I played 12 holes between the Irish Open and yesterday. I wasn't sure I'd be okay. I just had a lesson on Monday and my coach is coming over today so I'll do a little bit today.

Q. Why do you need a lesson after winning a professional tournament?
SHANE LOWRY: Just more of a chat and get back into the swing of things.

Q. I see you're playing with Paul McGinley the first two rounds, how do you think that's going to help you?
SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, should be good. I've met Paul and spoken to him before, but I don't really know him. I'm sure I'll get to know him and I'm sure it will be good fun.

Q. What's the general reception been from the other pros?
SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, anyone I've met this week has come up and congratulated me and welcomed me to the tour. It's been great to meet all the guys, and I'm sure I'll get to make some good friends over the years.

Q. Have you had the slightest doubt since you made the decision to turn professional that you made the right decision?
SHANE LOWRY: No. I know I made the right decision, and everyone around me knows I made the right decision, so I'm happy enough.

Q. Has anyone in particular given you any advice about what to expect?
SHANE LOWRY: Not really to be honest. I suppose a few people have given me advice, but me and my coach, Neil, we are very good friends and we get on really well, and the two of us have spoke a lot about it. And feel like we've done the right things. Just look to the future, professional golf was all I wanted to do, and it was the right time to do it.

Q. And immediate goals?
SHANE LOWRY: Just go out and enjoy it.

Q. How long after you won did you know that you wanted to turn pro?
SHANE LOWRY: Well, I've known I've wanted to turn pro since I was about 15. But after I turned pro -- or after the golf, you know, after I came in, I couldn't see myself doing anything else to be honest. I didn't fancy teeing it up in amateur tournaments again. So it was obviously the right thing to do then.

Q. How did you enjoy playing with Peter Lawrie yesterday?
SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, it was good. Peter is a nice guy. I spoke to him before the 3 Irish Open, as well. We get on well together and it's good.

Q. Just your reasoning for 8not playing in the Pro-Am this afternoon?
SHANE LOWRY: I think we just felt like it would have been a bit too much, too soon. So we decided not to.

Q. I believe you've had a slight caution about some tendency towards salty language in the past; can you tell us what was said and how you reacted?
SHANE LOWRY: I can't tell you what I've said to be honest. (Laughter).
It happens. It was in the heat of things. I was trying so hard to win. I'm sure I'll have to calm down a little bit, though.

Q. Who spoke to you about it, was it a tour official?
SHANE LOWRY: No, me and Conor just had a chat about it and it's fine now.

Q. Shows how hard you were trying to win.
SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, shows how hard I was trying to win. Just got caught up in things, and because it was me that day, I suppose it was highlighted more.

Q. Have you had any messages of congratulations and support from unusual sources, people you would not have expected, famous names, etc.?
SHANE LOWRY: Well, the president of Ireland gave me a phone call on Sunday night which was quite nice. I got a nice letter from Gary Wolstenholme, which was nice, as well. I don't really know Gary but I would have played against him as an amateur and stuff. Obviously Padraig Harrington, Rory, Darren Clarke, all of the guys, I was talking to them all and they all sent their congratulations.

Q. Does it seem like a bit of a dream that this is all happening?
SHANE LOWRY: No, it's starting to sink in now. I suppose I'm looking forward to just getting out there tomorrow and realising what's out there happening, and hopefully it will go well.
You know, when I'm out there tomorrow, it's the start of hopefully what will be a long career, and I'm looking forward to it.

Q. How did you play yesterday?
SHANE LOWRY: Played all right. I'm not too worried about how I play in practice rounds to be honest. I never really play outstanding or bad. It's just hit tee shots and if you hit in the rough, you throw it on to the fairway.

Q. Do you think this course will suit you?
SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, because I'd like to think I'm a decent driver of the golf ball, straight enough. The fairways are narrow enough, rough is severe enough.
I don't know whether it will suit me or not. Just have to see tomorrow.

Q. Have you ever contemplated the Â€500,000 Euros that you would have won had you been professional?
SHANE LOWRY: No. Because I knew going into the tournament, I wasn't going to win that money. So didn't really bother me. I have thought about it because people have been saying it so much, but hopefully money will come my way in the future.

Q. Did you think it was a windup when the Irish PM got in touch with you?
SHANE LOWRY: No. Because I suppose it was -- well, she rang me and I got a missed call and I had to ring the office back. (Laughter).

Q. Going back to the money thing, obviously Team Ireland have come in to help, 3 have come in to help, does that take a bit of pressure off you, as well? You've got an exemption and you've got money, so you can just go out and play?
SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, it does I suppose. When you've got the exemption, obviously, for 2 1/2 years, it's great, and thankfully 3 have come in and Team Ireland and give me some sponsorship. I have something to look forward to for the next 2 1/2 years and hopefully longer than that.

Q. What name comes up when you get a missed call from the President?
SHANE LOWRY: It was just a number. I can't really remember it.

Q. You got a few missed calls from Padraig Harrington and he couldn't get through to you.
SHANE LOWRY: I thought that was a windup to be honest. That's why I didn't reply. But I got back to him.

Q. You went straight to the tee since you didn't want to delay Peter Lawrie, but you're not a range rat by any means, you're not really a practicer, are you?
SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, and it's the way I've been since I started playing golf. If I have a couple of hours spare in the evening, I would rather play nine holes than hit balls.
So it's just the way I am, and I don't feel like I have to change that just because I'm out here on Tour.

Q. So there's no temptation to head for the range now?
SHANE LOWRY: No, I will be going to the range because Neil is coming over, but it will be I suppose 45 minutes then.

Q. How long do you warm up for a round normally?
SHANE LOWRY: Just go down to the range for 20 minutes, half an hour, and pick whatever club my hand falls on and hit it.

Q. Have you worked out a schedule for the rest of the year, and does the schedule involve any tournaments outside The European Tour with invitations, for instance?
SHANE LOWRY: We haven't really -- obviously Wales next week, and then British Open qualifying with that, we have not really fully worked it out yet, and we are still in the middle of the doing that. And so on my two weeks off we'll do that. Bridgestone Invitational, get an invite there, so that's really exciting being looking forward to that.

Q. Danny Lee ended up getting a number of invitations to play in the States; will you be perhaps hoping that you pick up a couple, as well?
SHANE LOWRY: No, I'm sure I'll just focus on The European Tour.

Q. There was only a handful that put money on you for the Irish Open; were you at all tempted to have any quid on yourself?
SHANE LOWRY: No, I've never done that before. In the past couple of years, there has been odds on amateur golf and I've never -- that would be like tempting fate.

Q. Do you bet on anything?
SHANE LOWRY: No, not a gambler at all.

Q. Did you get a courtesy car here today?
SHANE LOWRY: I did, yes.

Q. You're almost a shoe-in for the Walker Cup, who would you recommend to take your place amongst the Irish amateurs?
SHANE LOWRY: I'm obviously not in a position to comment on that.

Q. There's a few good ones.
SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, there is, and hopefully some of the Irish guys do make it. It's going to be very tough to make the team this year, as it is every year. But I'm sure Kearney will, he won the Brabazon Trophy, which is great for him. Hopefully some of the guys will make the team.

Q. It is true that Dalgleish recommended that you play in the Irish Open?
SHANE LOWRY: Well, he didn't recommend it. But I said to him, I'd like to play in it because I've never played in a Tour event before, and he said fine. That was kind of a mutual decision.

Q. Your good friend who won something like Â€65,000 in the end, has he at least bought you a pint?
SHANE LOWRY: He's supposed to be coming over this weekend.

Q. You had the offer of a lift in a private jet, how tempted were you to take that, and how important do you think it is for you not to get too big for your boots early on?
SHANE LOWRY: We were talking about that yesterday and we said, what would it look like if you arrived at my first European Tour event in a private jet, I think the media would have a field day with that one to be honest.
I didn't even hear about it until I landed here yesterday. Obviously I wouldn't have taken it up.

Q. What is it exactly about the Pro-Am that you didn't want to do today?
SHANE LOWRY: Me and Conor, whatever Conor felt was in my best interests not to play it, and just chill out for a day and do a bit of practice and stuff.
You know, I don't know why, like it doesn't bother me whether I play it or not, but it's just probably in my best interests not to play this week, with all of the hype that's gone on, have to do all this stuff, and then straight out, play, shotgun start, would have been a lot to start.
MICHAEL GIBBONS: Shane, good luck for the week.

End of FastScripts

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