McGinley: Lowry may be Ryder Cup rookie but I’d give him a pick

Shane Lowry in action during the RBC Heritage tournament at Hilton Head, South Carolina last weekend. Photo: Joshua S Kelly/USA Today Sports

Brian Keogh

April 20 2021 02:30 AM

Shane Lowry is hitting form in the nick of time as the Ryder Cup qualifying race hots up and former skipper Paul McGinley sees him as a great bet to make Pádraig Harrington’s team if his putter heats up.

The Offaly man jumped two spots to 13th in the European Ryder Cup Points list when he tied for ninth in the RBC Heritage at Harbour Town on Sunday and having recorded just two top-10 finishes in the 18 months until he finished eighth in The Players, he appears to have gained confidence on the greens and followed a career-best tie for 21st in the Masters with another top-10.

“Shane knows how to handle the big occasions and he seems to get inspired by big occasions so it’s no surprise that the two best performances he’s had this year have been in the two biggest occasions,” McGinley said in an interview to promote his hosting of LeadersLoungeLive.com this Thursday when he chats with South African rugby union head coach Rassie Erasmus.

“That’s the kind a player Shane is. His performance in the Masters didn’t surprise me, what did surprise me was that he was second in strokes gained approach going into the last day. But Shane’s putter was only lukewarm form at Augusta so the big key for him is holing putts.”

With Ryder Cup qualifying points set to double from next month, Lowry can make a huge move with three Majors still to play and McGinley reckons Harrington will be keen to have him in his team.

“The fact that he’s a Major champion and the fact that Pádraig knows his strengths so well I think he’d be a great addition to the team,” McGinley said. “If he got close, I would certainly pick him. Even though it’s very difficult to pick a rookie, Shane is certainly an exception to that rule.”