Oakmont memories stirring ambitious Shane Lowry
Nine years have passed since Shane Lowry gave up a final-round four-shot lead at the US Open as his dreams of a maiden major went up in smoke.
The Offaly man, whose rounds of 68, 70 and 65 dispelled his pre-tournament reservations, saw his soar to the top of the standings.
In the end however it was Dustin Johnson who took his first major, with Lowry forced to settle in a tie for second.
He returns to the scene at Oakmont, where he will have Rory McIlroy as a playing partner for the first two rounds, along with Justin Rose.
A practice round has stoked up some difficult memories of that final round in 2016, but the 38-year-old has drawn positives from the experience.
"If I didn't experience that, would I have done what I did in Portrush in 2019? I wouldn't give that up for anything," he told RTÉ Sport's Greg Allen
"You live and you learn, and I learned a lot from that day. It has stood to me over the last nine years. Obviously I'd love to have a US Open alongside my Claret Jug, you never know, this could be week I do it.
"I like the look of the place. Because I played well here in 2016, people automatically think I will play well this week. I don't think like that. I am always on the edge of my anxious self where I want it so much, but my confidence levels can't be too high.
"I just need to be myself, bring myself down to earth and throw all my expectation away going to the first tee."
Keeping the ball on the fairways is crcuail to any ambitions of making the cut, never mind victory. Last week's rain was welcomed by all players, allowing the big hitters more iron or fariway wood options.
Lowry, a noted iron player, is driving as well as he ever has. Now it's a matter of stitching his game together.
"The stats don't lie," he says. "Tee-to-green I have been very good. My downfall has probably been in and around the greens. At some stage it will all come together. I'm just trying to be as patient as I can this year."
With 12 cuts from 13 tournaments since February, and a couple of runner-up spots to go challenging at the front on a number of occasions, Lowry agrees that his body of work this year is as good as anything he has produced.
"I think it is the best I have ever been, but it is also the most effort I have ever put in.
"I don't feel I am getting the rewards because every Sunday I come off the golf course and I feel like I have been punched in the gut.
"That's hard to take, but hopefully some Sunday soon I will be walking off that 18th green proud and happy with myself. Hopefully it will be this week."
Lowry and McIlroy will go off the 10th at 12.40pm Irish time and the first on Friday at 6.25pm.
The US Open, seen as the most difficult major test of them all, returns for Oakmont for a record time, where player complaints could well be as plentiful and high scores are being forecast.
Not that Lowry is getting bogged down by the pessimism.
"There are other courses I found more daunting than this place," he said. "It's very difficult, don't get me wrong, but I do think it is the type of golf course if you hit the right type of golf course you get rewarded
"If I can keep doing what I have been doing for what I have been doing for most of the year, I will do alright.
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Irish Examiner
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Irish Times
an hour ago
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an hour ago
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