Shane Lowry On Europe's Scouting Mission To Rome

Luke Donald's European outfit enjoyed a whistle-stop trip to Marco Simone ahead of the Ryder Cup in three weeks and Shane Lowry revealed that it was a particularly worthwhile visit.

The team flew out on Monday morning and spent the day getting their eyes on the course, some for the first time, and spending time together as a unit before things heat up at the end of the month.

"We got there and pretty much teed off straightaway, and we just played 18 holes, and we came back and we didn't talk much about the course to be honest. It was great for me to see the course for the first time because when you get to the week of the Ryder Cup, your head can be a bit scrambled out there trying to get to know a course, so it was nice to do that," explained Lowry.

"It was one of those days that we got a lot done that we don't need to do in two weeks. Any hour you can save the week of the Ryder Cup is needed, so yeah, a very worthwhile exercise. Even if it's not your first Ryder Cup, the week goes by quickly. Before you know it, it's Wednesday or Thursday, and you maybe feel like you haven't really got to do what you would have liked. The rough is pretty thick but you need to hit fairways and you need to hit greens, and you need to stay in the hole and that's the way we like it.

"Then we had a team meeting and some dinner and just told stories. The older guys told stories and the rookies listened, the rookies talked. Everyone spoke, it was kind of an amazing few hours together."

Interestingly Lowry, who was a captain's pick for the second straight match, played in a fourball with Bob MacIntyre, Sepp Straka and Justin Rose. If we are to presume that Lowry was paired with the Scot then we might have one of the most combustible, and loveable, pairings in Ryder Cup history.

What a day @marcosimonegolf 🇪🇺 pic.twitter.com/5D4PpQmtX8

— Ryder Cup Europe (@RyderCupEurope) September 11, 2023

As for the need for a pick, a move that was criticised by some with Adrian Meronk missing out, the 2019 Open champ was quite rightly standing his ground.

"I know there was a little bit about that last week and I need to be careful here. Didn't sit very well with me to be honest. I feel like, yes, my results have not been amazing this year, but I feel if you purely go down to statistics and go down to the 12 best players in Europe, I'm one of them. And I feel like I deserve my place on the team.

"I didn't feel like I had to go out and prove anything to anyone last week (Lowry tied for third in Ireland). The Irish Open is important to me and a tournament I wanted to play well in. If I showed a few people up, so be it, but I wasn't trying to do that. I was trying to win so last week was disappointing for me. This week is the same. I'm trying to win the tournament here (at Wentworth). I know I deserve to be on that team and I know I'll be good in Rome and I'm very excited for it."

At Whistling Straits in 2021 Lowry contributed one win from three matches, a point that was added in style when the Irishman holed a beauty of a putt on the final green alongside Tyrrell Hatton and one that he celebrated with typical enthusiasm.

"I'm not going to be afraid of anyone that comes to stand on the 1st tee. I think I'll be good for the rookies. I think I'll be good for team morale or in the team room. I think, you know, I'll be passionate. I'll show my emotions. I'll enjoy myself."