Shane Lowry - 2019 Champion Golfer of The Year (note first post please for posting guidance)

redzerdrog

hurleronditch wrote: »

I’d reckon the match play forms only a tiny percentage of any captains decision.

Shane is clearly not in great form at all at the moment, he had been driving well with a sketchy putter but the driving seems to have not been great last 2 days.

I’m not pretending he’s not going to have to have a massive improvement in results to get into contention, but we have 4 majors and a bunch of WGCs before the cutoff date. are you really implying if he went on a run but came up just a slot or two short of the automatic places Harrington will discount him because he was poor in the match play 6 months previous? Nonsense.

But he absolutely needs to put a run together, as the longer it goes on the points target gets higher higher.

He has a poor match play record! Of course that is gona come into play. You dont see many rookies with poor matchplay records getting wildcard picks.

If he had of made the semis or even quarters this week and then narrowly missed out of automatic qualification down the line there certain stronger arguement for a wildcard pick.

If he misses out my the smallest of margins and is the form player right before the picks are a made he has a chance but that chance is slim I would think

hurleronditch

Trampas wrote: »

He did well in players and first two rounds last week. Gone off the boil since then.

Performance this week could have a say in it. It’s match play like Ryder cup

Very very minor I’d say.

If he goes on a good run and wins or strings together a bunch of top 10s and gets very close to the automatic slots, he’ll have as good a chance as anyone of going. Harrington isn’t going to look back at the match play and make a call on that if Shane is in form and just falls short.

If he doesn’t go on that run, this conversation is irrelevant, he has zero chance. Even the Ryder cup warhorses like poulter and Westwood wouldn’t get picked from miles out of the points table so a rookie never will.

CMcsporty

hurleronditch wrote: »

I’d reckon the match play forms only a tiny percentage of any captains decision.

Shane is clearly not in great form at all at the moment, he had been driving well with a sketchy putter but the driving seems to have not been great last 2 days.

I’m not pretending he’s not going to have to have a massive improvement in results to get into contention, but we have 4 majors and a bunch of WGCs before the cutoff date. are you really implying if he went on a run but came up just a slot or two short of the automatic places Harrington will discount him because he was poor in the match play 6 months previous? Nonsense.

But he absolutely needs to put a run together, as the longer it goes on the points target gets higher higher.

Loads of time for Shane.
I would point out one quite troubling fact. He is a bad match play player.

He has won only 1 singles game out of his last 14 matches!!

In total only winning 6 out of 24 matches.

In fairness to that poster i would say match play form/record would actually be a very important percentage in Harrington's decision.
e.g. Lowry: OWGR 41 v Bob MacIntyre: OWGR 44
If both were just outside the automatic places i know who i'd pick.

Lowry has one obvious trump card. He is a Major winner.
But Macintyre is simply the better pick primarily because he's a better putter.

May i ask who would you pick between Lowry v Poulter and Lowry v MacIntyre if all were just outside automatic spots?

Unfortunately I wouldn't be picking Lowry in ether case.
And I say that believing Lowry will win another major.

Mantis Toboggan

Obviously Lowry won't get a pick ahead of the postman but I'd probably pick him ahead of Mcintyre mainly due to Mcintyres lack of experience in the bigger events especially in the US.

Trampas

hurleronditch wrote: »

Very very minor I’d say.

If he goes on a good run and wins or strings together a bunch of top 10s and gets very close to the automatic slots, he’ll have as good a chance as anyone of going. Harrington isn’t going to look back at the match play and make a call on that if Shane is in form and just falls short.

If he doesn’t go on that run, this conversation is irrelevant, he has zero chance. Even the Ryder cup warhorses like poulter and Westwood wouldn’t get picked from miles out of the points table so a rookie never will.

How many in your bunch? He’s 70 points behind getting in on world points so that’s about 6 top 10 finishes and not in top 5. Even a win on pga tour wouldn’t get him in on points. Never mind people above him getting in. He needs some top 5’s or a win and something else thrown in. He just doesn’t look like doing it. If he was non Irish would you feel the same?

benny79

Did he win his match against Rahm I went o bed he was 3 down on think on back 9.. hardly showed ant of him

Trampas

Trampas wrote: »

How many in your bunch? He’s 70 points behind getting in on world points so that’s about 6 top 10 finishes and not in top 5. Even a win on pga tour wouldn’t get him in on points. Never mind people above him getting in. He needs some top 5’s or a win and something else thrown in. He just doesn’t look like doing it. If he was non Irish would you feel the same?

Points earned at the moment are x 1.5 and will move to double points soon enough. Not saying he will or won't make it but the system is designed to reward the fella in form at the right time.

DuckSlice

He showed some fight at the end of his match yesterday. All he can do now is try get the win today, and move on to prep for the next tournament.

CMcsporty

Trampas wrote: »

How many in your bunch? He’s 70 points behind getting in on world points so that’s about 6 top 10 finishes and not in top 5. Even a win on pga tour wouldn’t get him in on points. Never mind people above him getting in. He needs some top 5’s or a win and something else thrown in. He just doesn’t look like doing it. If he was non Irish would you feel the same?

T8th at THE PLAYERS (ALL CAPS) was very encouraging.
It was the first time in his career that he putted right-hand low. Which was also very worrying!

RoadRunner

benny79 wrote: »

Did he win his match against Rahm I went o bed he was 3 down on think on back 9.. hardly showed ant of him

He fought back towards the end, but was beaten on the last.

Trampas

Looks like getting it done today

Mantis Toboggan

That's an important win, 3 defeats from 3 wouldn't have looked good in terms of the Ryder cup.

kmart6

A dead rubber win isn't going to hold much weight either though.

abff

kmart6 wrote: »

A dead rubber win isn't going to hold much weight either though.

Better than losing, though!

The Big Easy

abff wrote: »

Better than losing, though!

For sure and the money is distributed according to points won, so Shane has made himself a few quid if nothing else.

He'll be feeling a small bit better leaving as well anyway, don't know if he's playing Houston before the Masters? I'd say he might now that's he's leaving early from here.

Trampas

Perez making knockout will increase points for Lowry to catch his automatic spot.

Garcia and Mac Intyre making knockout near spots don’t make it easier also. One thing catching one player as they might have a slump but the more players the less chance they all have one

abff

Trampas wrote: »

Perez making knockout will increase points for Lowry to catch his automatic spot.

Garcia and Mac Intyre making knockout near spots don’t make it easier also. One thing catching one player as they might have a slump but the more players the less chance they all have one

At this stage Shane needs something along the lines of a couple of wins or a win plus a top five in a major if he is going to have a chance of making the team.

abff

abff wrote: »

At this stage Shane needs something along the lines of a couple of wins or a win plus a top five in a major if he is going to have a chance of making the team.

It's all under control. He's had Harrington staying at his gaff the last few weeks ;-)

SeeMoreBut

Doing a Faldo and was it Casey who didn't play last event as was told he had a pick?

The Big Easy

He's not playing in Texas this week, which is a little disappointing as there's definitely been some green shoots and might have been a good opportunity for a top 10 or better.

But he's the defending Open champion, so is entitled to concentrate on Augusta and hopefully put in a befitting performance there.

willabur

his most recent trip to augusta was his best showing, his only one under par.

At augusta you need to be a brilliant putter to win, Tee to green it is not that difficult of a course.
putting probably the weakest part of his game at the moment

The Big Easy

willabur wrote: »

his most recent trip to augusta was his best showing, his only one under par.

At augusta you need to be a brilliant putter to win, Tee to green it is not that difficult of a course.
putting probably the weakest part of his game at the moment

Of course you have to putt well to win, it's like that every week. Get what you're saying but it can become a little overplayed when it comes to Augusta because of the speed of the greens.

Langer, Couples, Singh, Cabrera, Bubba, Adam Scott, Sergio to name but a few of the brilliant putters to don the Green Jacket

redzerdrog

Talk of Augusta gona play fast and firm. Might play to Shane's strengths

redzerdrog

redzerdrog wrote: »

Talk of Augusta gona play fast and firm. Might play to Shane's strengths

Saw a photo on Twitter today with himself, Rory, Lee Westwood, and Tommy Bjorn. Where were they playing?

Deleted User

Deleted User wrote: »

Saw a photo on Twitter today with himself, Rory, Lee Westwood, and Tommy Bjorn. Where were they playing?

Bears Club in Florida. I know Shane & Rory are Members there and play/practice there a lot. Not sure about the other two.

eagle eye

willabur wrote:

his most recent trip to augusta was his best showing, his only one under par.
At augusta you need to be a brilliant putter to win, Tee to green it is not that difficult of a course. putting probably the weakest part of his game at the moment

It was really does come down to the par 5 performance. You have to be successful on them to win.
And putting isn't as huge as you might think because they are so difficult it actually favours those who hike less putts. Obviously inside ten feet is where you need to be good but scrambling is probably more important and Shane certainly is good at that.

dublin49

eagle ee wrote: »

It was really does come down to the par 5 performance. You have to be successful on them to win.
And putting isn't as huge as you might think because they are so difficult it actually favours those who hike less putts. Obviously inside ten feet is where you need to be good but scrambling is probably more important and Shane certainly is good at that.

well Shanes performance on par fives can be very underwhelming to say the least,for a guy with his short game he regularly doesnt get his fair shake on par fives.I think alot of the time he cant go for it in two because his drive is in the rough thus neutralising the strongest part of his game..

LuckyGent88

Speith is looking so good right now. Getting better off the tee as the weeks go on, his iron play is pretty much the best statistically speaking at the moment and his short game has always been fantastic.

3rd favourite for next week and I’d say he could go off favourite by the time next Thursday comes along.

CMcsporty

Surprised that he is saying that he is happy with his putting!

“I am very happy with where my game is at and very comfortable and confident,” Lowry said in a Zoom call with Irish golf writers before leaving Florida for Augusta, Georgia. “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 weeks after. I am driving the ball pretty well now after putting the new Srixon driver in 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 hopeful that will be this week.”

Lowry, 34 last week, will not place too much store in achieving his best finish at the Masters last time out, a tie for 25th..... heading into his sixth appearance.

eagle eye

Some ranking stats from the PGA Tour. Important areas for this week.
SG Tee to Green 33rd
SG approach 88th
One putts 212th
3 putt avoidance 189th
Par 5 scoring 200th

willabur

Really hard to see him coming out top in Augusta with stats like that.
Par 5 in particular is hurting him

gypsy79

willabur wrote: »

Really hard to see him coming out top in Augusta with stats like that.
Par 5 in particular is hurting him

Really hard see him making the cut tbf

gypsy79

gypsy79 wrote: »

Really hard see him making the cut tbf

Strange comment. Easiest of the majors to make the cut at.

Mantis Toboggan

Hard to see him competing on the back 9 on Sunday but he sounded very confident on the podcast. Who knows, if he putts well he'll have a chance.

gypsy79

Exactly wrote: »

Strange comment. Easiest of the majors to make the cut at.

He currently seems to be able to through out a +8 or +9 at will!

gypsy79

gypsy79 wrote: »

He currently seems to be able to through out a +8 or +9 at will!

When?

benji79

I reckon he’ll have a great week, Top 10

dublin49

Shane is mercurial,if he gets in a flunk he can't shake it, watching his scoring on shottracker mostly if he has a bad hole it seems to affect him more than most,thats my impression anyway.alternatively if he gets going he is a birdie machine,I would imagine its up in the air until he gets out there ,needs to keep doubles off his card and hopefully get under par early so he is not watching the cut and then anything can happen.
Having a major win already I would imagine would help him enormously if he can get in the mix down the stretch on Sunday.

Speak Now

Exactly wrote: »

Strange comment. Easiest of the majors to make the cut at.

3 missed cuts from 5 appearances is poor so.

Speak Now

Speak Now wrote: »

3 missed cuts from 5 appearances is poor so.

Not great alright when you consider the below.

Field: 88

Cut: Top 50 + ties (10 shot rule was removed last year).

When you consider amateurs and former champions who are well past their best the 88 reduces down further.

It goes without saying that even with the Top players a certain amount of them will have a bad week and miss the cut.

youcancallmeal

Mantis Toboggan wrote: »

Hard to see him competing on the back 9 on Sunday but he sounded very confident on the podcast. Who knows, if he putts well he'll have a chance.

Which podcast is that?

Mantis Toboggan

youcancallmeal wrote: »

Which podcast is that?

Irish golfer podcast

Should have dropped at least one of the birdie attempts on the first 2 holes. Great recovery shot after a bad drive on the 2nd.

The Big Easy

Good start from Shane, looks to be swinging well, plenty of good birdie looks early.

Let's hope he can keep it lit and give us something to cheer over the weekend!

TheCitizen

https://www.masters.com/en_US/players/player_33204.html?promo=bio_lb

You can watch Shane Lowry's shots moments after he takes them on this website. The TV coverage is a shambles, focusing on select groups.

He hit an incredibly bad drive on the 9th, ended up on the practice area, hit a decent recovery shot to the middle of the green, and sunk a long putt for birdie.

acalmenvoy

TheCitizen wrote: »

https://www.masters.com/en_US/players/player_33204.html?promo=bio_lb

You can watch Shane Lowry's shots moments after he takes them on this website. The TV coverage is a shambles, focusing on select groups.

Thats the job, nice one.

dball

just gone OB & 3 Off the tee on 10

LuckyGent88

dball wrote: »

just gone OB & 3 Off the tee on 10

Leads to a double bogey. Had a snap hook off 9th tee too but no OB on that hole.

benji79

Main thing is not to follow with another double in round. Anything around level would be a solid day one