Shane Lowry (golfer)
Encyclopedia
Shane Lowry is an Irish
professional golf
er.
, County Offaly
, the son of Offaly 1982 All-Ireland winning footballer
Brendan Lowry. He attended Athlone Institute of Technology
as a scholarship student on the Higher Certificate in Sport and Recreation. He was the 2007 Irish Amateur Close Champion, defeating Niall Turner 4 & 3 in the final.
While still an amateur in May 2009, Lowry won The 3 Irish Open
on the European Tour
, defeating Robert Rock
on the third hole of a sudden death playoff. The win, on his tour début, made him just the third amateur to win on the European Tour, following Danny Lee
earlier in the 2009 season
, and Pablo Martín
in 2007
. Lowry shot a 62 to equal the lowest ever by an amateur on the circuit and led from the second round onwards. With this win, he entered the Official World Golf Rankings
as an amateur at No. 168 and reached a career high of 6th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking
. Walker Cup
captain Colin Dagleish described the win as "fairytale stuff", adding: "You'd have to say that Shane's victory was the biggest (of the three amateur wins). To win your own national Open is quite something. It was unbelievable, it really was." The win was all the more remarkable because it was only the second home win since 1982 and the first since Pádraig Harrington
in 2007. Harrington himself was also full of praise: "It’s fabulous for Irish golf. You only have to look at the fact it is such a rarity for an amateur to win, such a rarity for an Irish player to win the Irish Open. So, on a lot of fronts, it is a big deal. It was very impressive."
in September. He made his professional début on the 28 May at the European Open
, where he shot 78 in the first round to end the opening day almost at the back of the field, and went on to miss the cut following a second round 73.
Lowry missed the first three cuts of his professional career, but had his first pay day on 5 July 2009, when he finished 50th at the French Open
. He had his best professional result in November 2009, when he finished 3rd in the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament
in Japan.
In January 2010, he finished in fourth place in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship
, moving him into the top-100 of the Official World Golf Rankings
. In June 2010, Lowry qualified for his first major championship, the 2010 Open Championship
at St Andrews. During the qualification, Lowry equalled Nick Faldo's course record at Sunningdale when he posted a 62. Lowry went on to make the cut at St Andrews and eventually finished in a tie for 37th place.
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
professional golf
Golf
Golf is a precision club and ball sport, in which competing players use many types of clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a golf course using the fewest number of strokes....
er.
Amateur career
Lowry was born in ClaraClara
Clara is a town on the River Brosna in County Offaly and is the 10th largest town in the midlands of Ireland. The town has a population of 3001 , however a number of well populated housing estates lie outside the town boundary making the actual population higher...
, County Offaly
County Offaly
County Offaly is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Midlands Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Uí Failghe and was formerly known as King's County until the establishment of the Irish Free State in 1922. Offaly County Council is...
, the son of Offaly 1982 All-Ireland winning footballer
Gaelic football
Gaelic football , commonly referred to as "football" or "Gaelic", or "Gah" is a form of football played mainly in Ireland...
Brendan Lowry. He attended Athlone Institute of Technology
Athlone Institute of Technology
Athlone Institute of Technology is the only higher education institution in the midlands of Ireland. Established in 1970 as Athlone Regional Technical College, it has expanded in size, scope, and influence over the period...
as a scholarship student on the Higher Certificate in Sport and Recreation. He was the 2007 Irish Amateur Close Champion, defeating Niall Turner 4 & 3 in the final.
While still an amateur in May 2009, Lowry won The 3 Irish Open
Irish Open (golf)
The Irish Open is a professional golf tournament on the European Tour, currently played at the end of July or early August each year. The event has been played in many locations on the island; its current home is the Killarney Golf & Fishing Club in County Kerry in southwestern Ireland...
on the European Tour
PGA European Tour
The PGA European Tour is an organization which operates the three leading men's professional golf tours in Europe: the elite European Tour, the European Seniors Tour and the developmental Challenge Tour. Its headquarters are at Wentworth Club in Virginia Water, Surrey, England...
, defeating Robert Rock
Robert Rock
Robert Rock is an English professional golfer. He was born in Armitage, near Lichfield in Staffordshire. He joined the European Tour as an affiliate member in 2003 and has remained a member ever since....
on the third hole of a sudden death playoff. The win, on his tour début, made him just the third amateur to win on the European Tour, following Danny Lee
Danny Lee (golfer)
Danny Jin-Myung Lee is a professional golfer from Rotorua, New Zealand. Lee was born in South Korea and emigrated to New Zealand at the age of eight. His name in Hangul is 이진명. He became a naturalized New Zealander on 2 September 2008 at Rotorua, where he attended Rotorua Boys' High...
earlier in the 2009 season
2009 European Tour
The 2009 European Tour was the 38th series of golf tournaments since the European Tour officially began in 1972. There were major changes for the 2009 season as the tour entered a partnership agreement with Dubai based Leisurecorp...
, and Pablo Martín
Pablo Martin
Pablo Martín-Benavides is a Spanish professional golfer.Martín was born in Málaga, and attended Oklahoma State University in the United States. He was awarded the Haskins Award in 2006 and featured in the top ten of the World Amateur Golf Ranking...
in 2007
2007 European Tour
The 2007 European Tour was the 36th golf season since the European Tour officially began in 1972. The 2007 season consisted of 52 official money events, breaking the record of the previous year. This included seven major championships and World Golf Championships, which are also sanctioned by the...
. Lowry shot a 62 to equal the lowest ever by an amateur on the circuit and led from the second round onwards. With this win, he entered the Official World Golf Rankings
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
as an amateur at No. 168 and reached a career high of 6th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking
World Amateur Golf Ranking
The World Amateur Golf Ranking for men was introduced by the R&A, the governing body of amateur golf outside the United States and Mexico, on 23 January 2007. It is based on the results of over 750 amateur tournaments and is updated weekly. Rankings are based on the players' average performances in...
. Walker Cup
Walker Cup
The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
captain Colin Dagleish described the win as "fairytale stuff", adding: "You'd have to say that Shane's victory was the biggest (of the three amateur wins). To win your own national Open is quite something. It was unbelievable, it really was." The win was all the more remarkable because it was only the second home win since 1982 and the first since Pádraig Harrington
Padraig Harrington
Pádraig P. Harrington is an Irish professional golfer who plays on The European Tour and The PGA Tour. He has won three major championships: The Open Championship in 2007 and 2008 and the PGA Championship, also in 2008.-Background:...
in 2007. Harrington himself was also full of praise: "It’s fabulous for Irish golf. You only have to look at the fact it is such a rarity for an amateur to win, such a rarity for an Irish player to win the Irish Open. So, on a lot of fronts, it is a big deal. It was very impressive."
Professional career
Lowry elected to turn professional the week after his Irish Open triumph, meaning that he would miss out on the opportunity to play in the Walker CupWalker Cup
The Walker Cup is a golf trophy contested biennially in odd numbered years between teams comprising the leading amateur golfers of the United States and Great Britain and Ireland...
in September. He made his professional début on the 28 May at the European Open
European Open (golf)
The European Open was a European Tour golf tournament. Founded in 1978, up to 1994 it was played at various courses in England, including Sunningdale and Walton Heath, except for the 1979 event, which was held at Turnberry in Scotland...
, where he shot 78 in the first round to end the opening day almost at the back of the field, and went on to miss the cut following a second round 73.
Lowry missed the first three cuts of his professional career, but had his first pay day on 5 July 2009, when he finished 50th at the French Open
Open de France
The Open de France is a European Tour golf tournament. Inaugurated in 1906 it is the oldest national open in Continental Europe and has been part of the European Tour's schedule since the tour's inception in 1972....
. He had his best professional result in November 2009, when he finished 3rd in the Dunlop Phoenix Tournament
Dunlop Phoenix Tournament
The is an annual event on the Japan Golf Tour. It is played in November at the Phoenix Country Club and attracts some of the leading international golfers.-Winners:*2011 Toshinori Muto - Japan*2010 Yuta Ikeda - Japan*2009 Edoardo Molinari - Italy...
in Japan.
In January 2010, he finished in fourth place in the Abu Dhabi Golf Championship
Abu Dhabi Golf Championship
The Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship is a European Tour golf tournament that was staged for the first time in January 2006. It is played at the Abu Dhabi Golf Club by Sheraton in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates....
, moving him into the top-100 of the Official World Golf Rankings
Official World Golf Rankings
The Official World Golf Ranking is a system for rating the performance level of male professional golfers...
. In June 2010, Lowry qualified for his first major championship, the 2010 Open Championship
2010 Open Championship
The 2010 Open Championship was the 139th Open Championship, the oldest of golf's four majors, and was played from 15–18 July over the Old Course at St Andrews, Fife, Scotland. It was celebrated as the 150th anniversary of the founding of The Open in 1860...
at St Andrews. During the qualification, Lowry equalled Nick Faldo's course record at Sunningdale when he posted a 62. Lowry went on to make the cut at St Andrews and eventually finished in a tie for 37th place.
Amateur wins (5)
- 2007 Irish Amateur Close Championship
- 2008 West of Ireland Championship, North of Ireland Championship, Mullingar Scratch Cup
- 2009 Lee Valley Senior Scratch Cup
European Tour wins (1)
| No. | Date | Tournament | Winning Score | Margin of Victory | Runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 17 May 2009 2009 European Tour The 2009 European Tour was the 38th series of golf tournaments since the European Tour officially began in 1972. There were major changes for the 2009 season as the tour entered a partnership agreement with Dubai based Leisurecorp... |
The 3 Irish Open (as an amateur) |
Playoff |  Robert RockRobert Rock Robert Rock is an English professional golfer. He was born in Armitage, near Lichfield in Staffordshire. He joined the European Tour as an affiliate member in 2003 and has remained a member ever since.... |
Results in major championships
| Tournament | 2010 | 2011 |
|---|---|---|
| The Masters | DNP | DNP |
| U.S. Open U.S. Open (golf) The United States Open Championship, commonly known as the U.S. Open, is the annual open golf tournament of the United States. It is the second of the four major championships in golf, and is on the official schedule of both the PGA Tour and the European Tour... |
DNP | CUT |
| The Open Championship The Open Championship The Open Championship, or simply The Open , is the oldest of the four major championships in professional golf. It is the only "major" held outside the USA and is administered by The R&A, which is the governing body of golf outside the USA and Mexico... |
T37 | DNP |
| PGA Championship PGA Championship The PGA Championship is an annual golf tournament conducted by the PGA of America as part of the PGA Tour. It is one of the four major championships in men's professional golf, and is the golf season's final major, usually played in mid-August, customarily four weeks after The Open Championship... |
CUT | DNP |
DNP = did not play
CUT = missed the half way cut
"T" indicates a tie for a place.
Green background for wins. Yellow background for top-10.
Summary
- Tournaments played: 3
- Wins: 0
- Top 10s: 0
- Top 25s: 0
- Missed cuts: 2
- Most consecutive cuts made: 1