Shane Lowry: I’ll be playing at the Irish Open and will be in it to win it

I’ve always said I would play in the Irish Open if it went ahead and will be at Galgorm Castle at the end of the month.

I’ll play the US Open at Winged Foot first but that ends on September 20th, so then I’ll join the ‘European Tour bubble’ and play in Northern Ireland later that week.

It’s great that the Irish Open has been able to slot into the space that was reserved for the Ryder Cup. Once that was abandoned, it presented an opportunity and I’m glad to be able to take it.

I’ve such good memories of winning the Irish Open as an amateur in 2009 and I’d love to do it again.

I’ve been saying all summer that I would never miss an Irish Open if it got the green light.

At the start of the season, before the pandemic struck, I was really looking forward to going to the Irish Open at Mount Juliet as the reigning ‘Open Champion’.

That would have been some buzz.

I’m just glad that with everything that’s happened since, we’re still going to get to play in an Irish Open at all this year. Plenty of other major golf and sporting events were lost – including the Open Championship.

This will be my first time home in about six months too, so I’m really looking forward to that. It’s actually my first tournament outside of the Majors, WGC events or the US Tour since March.

My family have been home in Ireland for about six weeks now and that’s tough and I’ve still another two weeks to go. It’s hard being away from them, but it is what it is.

Rory McIlroy is a new dad now and I’m sure like me it’ll bring a new perspective. It took me a little while to get used to such a new and major experience, but one of the best ones you’ll ever have.

Even better than winning any golf tournament!

I know that when my daughter was born I always just looked forward to getting home after playing and that doesn’t change. So it will be great to see everyone again at the end of the month.

I’ll fly to the East Coast for some practice at Winged Foot next week ahead of next Thursday’s tee off in the US Open. I’m looking forward to it though it will be a typically tough set-up but I usually relish those conditions.

And then it’s home to see everyone play in the Irish Open and take a few weeks break before the US Masters at Augusta in November.

Can’t wait!

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