Shane Lowry turns focus to Olympics after Open disappointment

Irish golfer Shane Lowry is setting his sights on Olympic gold after experiencing a second near miss at a major this year. Following a sixth-place finish at the Open and a similar result at the US PGA Championship in May, where Xander Schauffele triumphed, Lowry is eager to rebound. The 37-year-old will represent Ireland in Paris next week alongside Rory McIlroy, who had a tough time at Royal Troon, failing to make the cut.

Lowry remains optimistic, stating, “Onwards and upwards and onto the Olympics and try to win a medal for Ireland and get on from there.” Reflecting on his Open performance, where he led by two strokes at the halfway mark, he added, “I’m playing good golf and I’d love to win a medal. Obviously I’d want it to be gold, but I’d probably take either three. I’m very excited about it. Le Golf National is going to be a great test and a great course, and that medal isn’t going to be around your neck until you’re finished on that 18th green at that place.”

Lowry had hoped to head to Paris with the Claret Jug, which would have not only boosted his status as a two-time major winner but also allowed him to return to Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland next year as the defending champion. Nonetheless, going back as an Olympic medallist would be a significant achievement.

“Honestly all week, the way I was playing, I thought I’m going to be going back to Portrush with the Claret Jug. That would be pretty cool,” he said. “I’m sure going back to Portrush will have its challenges next year for me with some demands and people are going to be talking about me a little bit more than they were in 2019. Who knows between now and then what’s going to happen. We have a lot of good golf to play. Hopefully I’ll be going back, you never know, as an Olympic medallist or a major champion.”

Similarly, Matt Fitzpatrick, another one-time major winner and Ryder Cup teammate, is hoping to turn his season around in Paris. The Sheffield golfer has not finished higher than 22nd in the majors this year and has only one top-10 finish since his 2022 US Open victory.

“It’s something different, something I haven’t done before, so I’m definitely looking forward to it (the Olympics),” said Fitzpatrick, who has not placed higher than fifth on the PGA Tour this year. “It would probably be right under there, just under a major. It’s not something that golf has put on the calendar at the start of the year that’s a must. The four majors are number one, and then probably you look at the Race to Dubai, FedEx title, that’s number two, as well as The Players and the BMW at Wentworth. I wouldn’t say it’s always been high on a golfer’s agenda, but this year it is.”