What Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry really think about each other as Irish pair gear up for Open battle
Buddies Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry have become best pals in recent times.
The Irish pair have won individual titles as well as teaming-up for triumphs at The Ryder Cup and The Zurich Classic.
Ahead of the Open at Royal Portrush, McIlroy and Lowry gave an insight into what they admire most about each other.
McIlroy was first in the media room and said: 'We've always been close, but I think we've become very close over the last sort of five or six years.
"I think once we both had kids, or at least once I had kids or had a daughter and I see how Shane is with his daughters, and I just think, when I say like a role model, I just think about how he is off the course, how he is able to separate his family life and his normal life from his golfing life.
'Look, I know I'm in a bit of a different position, so it may be a little bit more difficult for me, but it's definitely a place that I strive to be in, to be as comfortable getting away from it as he is in a way and enjoying the fruits of your success and sharing that with your loved ones. That's one of my New Year's resolutions was to have more fun. I think Shane is very good at having fun, and I need more of that in my life.'
Lowry gave his response on McIlroy's best trait and said: 'I think his constant work ethic. We have become quite close over the last number of years and I think it's helped both of us. I think I help him, but he helps me as well. I think I certainly feel like I've learned a lot from his work ethic and how I apply myself to the game now.
'Where we live in Florida, there's a lot of players that live there and you go up to the range and there's never a day that goes by where you get there and some of the top players in the world are not there.
"So you're like, well, if all these guys are here, we need to be doing it as well. I think my biggest thing, he's done everything there is to do in the game. He finished that in April. And his constant drive to get better every day is admirable.'
Lowry won in 2019 as McIlroy missed the cut and the 2019 winner said: 'I reckon that first tee that morning in 2019 was the most nervous I've ever been on the first tee of a tournament. All you want to do is get the ball down the fairway and obviously Rory didn't do that.
'I remember talking to him a little bit in the lead-up to that and he did put a lot of pressure on himself, talking about it being the biggest tournament he's ever going to play and stuff like that. You live and you learn and I'm sure he's not going to do that this week.
'We've talked about it at the odd time but not that much. He doesn't want to talk about what he did on the first hole. I don't mind talking about what I did!'
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