You listen to Shane Lowry and there is a power emanating that is a throwback to a summer's day in Portrush in 2019. We all know what happened there, and of how the Claret Jug became the centre-piece of a national party that was seemingly never-ending for the rest of that year. You listen to him now, his confidence and his sense of expectation, and wonder what size green jacket will fit on to his shoulders and around his chest.
"I'm genuinely very happy with where my game is at, and very comfortable and confident," admitted Lowry, who – come Thursday – will be making a sixth appearance in the Masters at Augusta National.
“I feel like I just need to keep doing what I am doing and play the waiting game and not try to force it too much over the next while. I am hopeful it happens this week, but if it doesn’t then hopefully the coming weeks after.
“I am driving the ball pretty well now after putting the new Srixon driver in the bag at the start of the year that I am very, very happy with, and the rest of my game is pretty good too.
“I struggled on the greens at the start of the year, but I feel like I have got to a point now where I am happy with my putter. So if everything comes together I really think I can do something special in the coming weeks, and I am very hopefully that that will be this week.”
Lowry has done things differently ahead of this latest Masters appearance. He got the chance to do his prep work a couple of weeks ago. Lee Westwood tagged along for good measure too. The upshot is that this week won’t require as much work, with his practice rounds limited to nine holes a day and the rest of the time spent on the range, around the short game area and on his putting.
Light-bulb moment
Putting is the key. “My chipping is probably as good as it’s ever been, and I feel like I can get it close from anywhere,” said Lowry.
The putter, though, didn't always capitalise on chances which were created. But there was what he called a "light-bulb moment" recently in conversation with his coach Neil Manchip that led to a change in how he gripped the putter.
“I spoke to Neil about it and just picked the putter up with a conventional grip and it just felt a little more natural and easier. I have spent a bit of time with it over the past few weeks and had some ups and downs with it, but I feel that I am consistently better with it this way.
“It’s definitely something that has taken a bit of getting used to but it just feels more natural to me and I am now putting like how I play the rest of my game, with a little more feel.
“I have been cross-handed for my whole career but I got out of putting with feel and became very robotic with that. It is something that didn’t really work for me,” said Lowry.
Manchip is on-site with Lowry for this week’s championship – always a help.
“I like someone to lean on through the week and someone to talk to. Obviously, he helps my game as well, but anybody that knows my relationship with Neil knows that he is much more than a golf coach to me. He is somebody I bounce everything off. He probably knows more about me than I do about myself, and just having him here is a just a huge calming influence on me.”
Driving
In his five previous Masters appearances, the lows have outweighed the highs. Three of those five appearances ended in missed cuts, while his best finish was in November’s outing where he finished tied-25th.
Lowry’s own observation on why past performances have not met expectations point at his driving.
“I have never really driven it my best around Augusta. I drove it okay in November, but I feel like I am driving it as well as I ever have now, so I am pretty confident with that.
“I am happy hitting a high draw or a little cut so I am happy where it is at. Iron play is key but you need to get the ball on the fairways first, [to] attack some pins and hit it in certain portions of greens that you need to hit it to.”
Now it’s about marrying confidence with expectations and executing.
