Lowry - the future...

conno16

what do ye reckon folks
i think he'll actually kick on this year before burning out bigtime within 12 months
i could actually see him being the top irish finisher in the open later in july
currently at 220 to 1 to win it
thats about right

if i was lowry i'd be milking it for what its worth at the min
having studied his swing and technique i feel he is definately very limited in comparison to top pros.
clearly he'll now step up his approach to practice etc but lets see how that goes

Blunder

He's not qualified for the open yet so there is no point saying he'll be the top Irish finisher. If he qualifies then that statement might have some merit.

Also I Didnt realise you were an authority on the golf swing. Everybody's swing is different and I'm sure that if he finds its not working then he'll work to change it. After all its his job now so he'll have time to change.

I was actually wondering how long it was going to take for someone to start stirring s**t about Lowry. Its taken less than 24 hours!

whatawaster

conno16 wrote: »

what do ye reckon folks
i think he'll actually kick on this year before burning out bigtime within 12 months
i could actually see him being the top irish finisher in the open later in july
currently at 220 to 1 to win it
thats about right

if i was lowry i'd be milking it for what its worth at the min
having studied his swing and technique i feel he is definately very limited in comparison to top pros.
clearly he'll now step up his approach to practice etc but lets see how that goes

what's limited about his swing?

Riskymove

Blunder wrote: »

He's not qualified for the open yet so there is no point saying he'll be the top Irish finisher. If he qualifies then that statement might have some merit.

does his winning if the Irish open not get him in?

I would have thought competition winners got this, bit harsh if not

f22

Well for starters Conno16, as a 26 handicapper I don't think Lowry would be too keen to source your swing coaching abilities.

As far as the Open goes, it's going to take him some time to bed in to tour life so I think a few 10's this year would be pretty decent.

whatawaster

Riskymove wrote: »

does his winning if the Irish open not get him in?

I would have thought competition winners got this, bit harsh if not

no. I don't think McGrane and Lawrie qualified automatically last year. They run a mini order of merit in the weeks leading up to it and the top few from that get in. Otherwise it goes on such things as world rankings, last years order of merit, last years top 16 or whatever in the open, past winners etc etc.

Mister Sifter

It all depends on where you place your expectations for him. Anyone thinking that he's gonna go out there and instantly become a top player on the European Tour will be disappointed i think. Not that anyone should expect that of him, doing so would be a bit unreasonable.

There are probably people out there who will start slamming his decision to go pro if he misses a few cuts or doesn't place in the top ten within his first few months. The Irish Open win will have done wonders for him, but the learning process starts now for him. Expectations need to be managed.

If he goes out there and makes a few cuts between now and the end of October then he'll be doing well. If he picks up 100k-200k in prize money, likewise.

Adiaga 2

Yeah, I think finishing inside the top 115 in Europe this season would be a great achievement. He has the guaranteed money from the wgc event in august also which will help. In his interview yeaterday he said he was targeting top 60 in the R2D which be phenomenal but I suppose you have to set high targets.

ThunderCat

Best of luck to the lad. I think it was the right decision for him to turn pro, strike while the irons hot and all that. I think he'll more than hold his own on the european tour. Granted it will be a step up and the competition will be fierce but he showed fantastic composure at the Irish Open. Its not like he came from nowhere on the last day to win it, he sat on the lead for 2 days. There are many seasoned pros that would have buckled under that pressure but not Lowry. It will stand to him. Looking forward to keeping an eye on him on TV from now on.

Blunder

whatawaster wrote: »

no. I don't think McGrane and Lawrie qualified automatically last year. They run a mini order of merit in the weeks leading up to it and the top few from that get in. Otherwise it goes on such things as world rankings, last years order of merit, last years top 16 or whatever in the open, past winners etc etc.

Yes there are a number of Qualifying criteria for the open. Unfortunately winning most tournaments is not one of them. Peter Lawrie voiced his dissappointment at this last year. There is a cut off this week I think that If you are in the top 15 and not already exempt for the open (or something like that) on the R2D standings you get in. Thats how Damien McGrane got in Last year. This year he Qualified as he was top 30 on the final Order of Merit last season. Darren Clark qualified the same way for this year.

There probably is one more chance to get into the open between now and July probably at the Scottish Open the week before the Open.

Dolph Starbeam

Its hard to say, i can't imagine he'll set the tour alight but i can see him having a few good tournaments, top 25'ish. His putting in the past has been his only weak part of his game but has got a lot better in the last year or so. Fingers crossed for him anyways.

PhilipMarlowe

He will attempt to qualify for The Open the same way as plenty of other pro's that don't get an automatic exemption do.... I remember it was held at Sunningdale last year and the year before it was on just after the Wales Open. I remember guys leaving straight away from Celtic Manor to drive to london for 2 rounds on the Monday morning.

PhilipMarlowe

And analysing his swing is one thing...
Speculating on how he will perform in the future is another.
But predicting that he'll burnout is as pointless as it is typical. He is young. He has been a pro for less than 24 hours.
I love the fact that he looks like such a natural player and I'm looking forward to the next few years watching him on tour. I won't be judging him on his showing next week or indeed for the next long time because he will be playing lots of courses for the first time. His exemption gives him plenty of time to settle in which is great. Of course as a tournament winner he himself will set himself high targets to achieve but I don't think that we should set overly ambitious ones for him.

kagni

Here's the rules for qualification for the Open...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Open_Championship#Exemptions_and_qualifying_events

Lowry (along with McIlroy and other, mainly European, pros) is entered in the European International Qualifying event which is on June 8th in Sunningdale.
There is a field of 96 and the Top 10 from that event qualify.

Blunder

McIlroy is already Qualified for the Open based on World Rankings.

gorfield

conno16 wrote: »

what do ye reckon folks
i think he'll actually kick on this year before burning out bigtime within 12 months
i could actually see him being the top irish finisher in the open later in july
currently at 220 to 1 to win it
thats about right

if i was lowry i'd be milking it for what its worth at the min
having studied his swing and technique i feel he is definately very limited in comparison to top pros.
clearly he'll now step up his approach to practice etc but lets see how that goes

Conno looking for trouble again.
Isnt he lucky you have studied his swing and technique, maybe you should give him a shout and warn him hes not up to it?? After all his swing did fall apart over the closing rounds while leading the irish open in his first ever pro event?...........Ive played a huge amount of golf with and against shane the last 3 years and there is no doubt in my mind he is gifted and will make a huge success of his career. Sky sports constantly complimented his golf swing during the course of the week, so maybe you should send a cv conno for a spot beside butch harmon etc?? People like you put me off this site with constant smartness and begrudging... Get a life.

kagni

Blunder wrote: »

McIlroy is already Qualified for the Open based on World Rankings.

Correct, but he's still entered in the Qualifying event though.
I presume he'll withdraw whenever his qualification through the Top 30 is confirmed.

I wouldn't be surprised to see Lowry struggle a bit initially, it's going to be a big change for him. Justin Rose turned pro in vaguely similar circumstances (after coming 4th in Open as an Am) and he missed over 20 cuts in a row at the start of his pro career.

L.O.F.T

You know I just hope he does well enough to cover his expenses such as travel, caddie, food etc and anything after that is a bonus. Id imagine his targets and ambitions are far greater than my point of covering expenses but it’s just great to see another Irishman on tour and will be great to look for his name on the leader boards, whether it’s good or bad to follow his progress. Watching him around Baltray was amazing and he now knows what it feels like to win and what is required. It’s a point many pros regularly bring up i.e. winning their first tournament, pressure, expectations. I wish him luck and success.

Blunder

Plus It was a great way to get thrust into the world of Professional golf, Having Thousands of people watching you hit Shots. The one thing that I heard him say last week that makes me think that he wont be another early Justin Rose is that He believed that the Top end of amateur golf wasnt too far away from the levels of the professional game. Once I heard this I knew He'd win as to me it showed that he had the confidence and wasnt afraid of the final two rounds.


So as a result of this I'd just like to predict now that Gorfield is going to win the Irish Open next year!

jimboddb

gorfield wrote: »

Conno looking for trouble again.
Isnt he lucky you have studied his swing and technique, maybe you should give him a shout and warn him hes not up to it?? After all his swing did fall apart over the closing rounds while leading the irish open in his first ever pro event?...........Ive played a huge amount of golf with and against shane the last 3 years and there is no doubt in my mind he is gifted and will make a huge success of his career. Sky sports constantly complimented his golf swing during the course of the week, so maybe you should send a cv conno for a spot beside butch harmon etc?? People like you put me off this site with constant smartness and begrudging... Get a life.

Have to second all the above. Seen Lowry play plenty of times & hes a class act. I haven't seen too much wrong with his swing on any occasion. He may not do as well as rory but very few do.

Conno you're just trolling again really......

gorfield

Blunder wrote: »

Plus It was a great way to get thrust into the world of Professional golf, Having Thousands of people watching you hit Shots. The one thing that I heard him say last week that makes me think that he wont be another early Justin Rose is that He believed that the Top end of amateur golf wasnt too far away from the levels of the professional game. Once I heard this I knew He'd win as to me it showed that he had the confidence and wasnt afraid of the final two rounds.


So as a result of this I'd just like to predict now that Gorfield is going to win the Irish Open next year!

The way im playing ill be lucky to make the cut in the east!!!!

PhilipMarlowe

Conno is back here from his 2 week break about as long as Lowry is a pro... he has been warned that he is on a very short leash this time. The trolling is tiresome.

Blunder

I was thinking that he had been pretty quiet lately!:D

conno16

i totally accept that its prob soon to judge him as a golfer
before the irish open last week, i had only seen him play one other round
i do feel from a technical point of view his range of shots is limited
as a result he'll struggle IMO particularly in the early days
he had a huge advantage over the rest of the field last weekend in that he knows the course like the back of his hand
when playing across europe that advantage, unfortunately for his sake, will have disappeared
best of luck to the chap, i'm just saying he has a lot of work to do

gorfield

conno16 wrote: »

i totally accept that its prob soon to judge him as a golfer
before the irish open last week, i had only seen him play one other round
i do feel from a technical point of view his range of shots is limited
as a result he'll struggle IMO particularly in the early days
he had a huge advantage over the rest of the field last weekend in that he knows the course like the back of his hand
when playing across europe that advantage, unfortunately for his sake, will have disappeared
best of luck to the chap, i'm just saying he has a lot of work to do

FYI. Shanes range of shots include high fade, low fade, high draw, low draw, low straight, high straight, 1/2 shots, 1/4 shots, 3/4 shots, he hits it miles, he putts superbly, he can play spinny chips, bump and runs, his bunker play is superb.....GET IT CONNO?? As for knowing baltray? Darren clarke played many easts there as did mcginley, harrington, mcdowell, mcgrane, murphy, lawrie.........IMHO shane is a complete package with no weaknesses.....Many tour wins will follow. I think he ,may win again this year, hes that good. the quality of irish amateur golf is the best in europe by far and the transition to pro golf is immediately not much bigger challenge than major amateur events. Please enlighten us with your opinion of what the boys technical flaws are as im struggling a little myself and would value your opinion on whats wrong....ref post video of swing thread. Maybe show us your technique there ?? i doubt it.

conno16

fair enough gorfield
you clearly know more about lowry than i do
i'll keep watching tho

jampotjim

conno16 wrote: »

i totally accept that its prob soon to judge him as a golfer
before the irish open last week, i had only seen him play one other round
i do feel from a technical point of view his range of shots is limited
as a result he'll struggle IMO particularly in the early days
he had a huge advantage over the rest of the field last weekend in that he knows the course like the back of his hand
when playing across europe that advantage, unfortunately for his sake, will have disappeared
best of luck to the chap, i'm just saying he has a lot of work to do

So from 1 round and 1 tournament which he won you are saying he doesn't have the vairety of shots????

Bull****, I think he will struggle as is a different thing having the pressure of winning for the sake of winning and winning to put the grub on the table (and he seems to like his grub)

With a 2 year exemption he has loads of time to aclimatise to the pro game and I can see him doing well once he gets use to the pro life

BombSquad

conno16 wrote: »

1. i do feel from a technical point of view his range of shots is limited

2. he had a huge advantage over the rest of the field last weekend in that he knows the course like the back of his hand
when playing across europe that advantage, unfortunately for his sake, will have disappeared

Have to disagree...
1. What do you mean by this? You seem to know a lot about his game. What shot(s) does he struggle with?

Kenny Perry has done well without being able to hit a fade. He also struggles with his chipping (Although both cost him in the Masters). Lee Westwood struggles with his chipping. You don't need to have every shot in the bag to be one of the best you just need to work with what you've got... and by the looks of things Lowry has plenty of game...

2. You don't get to be the number 6 amateur in the world by playing your local course or courses you know the whole time. He's done that by winning many events over different courses including the Sotogrande Cup in Europe...

Blunder

conno16 wrote: »

as a result he'll struggle IMO particularly in the early days

Really? You didn't think that this morning......

conno16 wrote: »

i think he'll actually kick on this year

conno16

my point there blunder is in relation to turnberry
the course will suit his style
hence i reckon he might top the irish list

i do think in the longer term of his 2-year exemption he'll fade into the background
why do i think this - because i feel he is limited as a golfer
best of luck to him tho

one question for the golf supremos here - last year, how many amateurs won comps on the pga tour?

soundsham

conno16 wrote: »

what do ye reckon folks
i think he'll actually kick on this year before burning out bigtime within 12 months
i could actually see him being the top irish finisher in the open later in july
currently at 220 to 1 to win it
thats about right

if i was lowry i'd be milking it for what its worth at the min
having studied his swing and technique i feel he is definately very limited in comparison to top pros.
clearly he'll now step up his approach to practice etc but lets see how that goes

ANOTHER FANTASTIC THREAD
WELL DONE EINSTEIN:rolleyes:

Blunder

conno16 wrote: »

my point there blunder is in relation to turnberry
the course will suit his style
hence i reckon he might top the irish list

:rolleyes:You're struggling now Conno. You said

conno16 wrote: »

i think he'll actually kick on this year before burning out bigtime within 12 months

That to me is in relation to his career.

conno16 wrote: »

i do think in the longer term of his 2-year exemption he'll fade into the background
why do i think this - because i feel he is limited as a golfer

Well its pretty much been shown that you don't really know anything about his game as you have said yourself:

conno16 wrote: »

before the irish open last week, i had only seen him play one other round

You couldnt possibly form an opinion on the limits of his golf game with such limited exposure to the golfer himself.

conno16 wrote: »

one question for the golf supremos here - last year, how many amateurs won comps on the pga tour?

None that Jump out at me at the moment. On the European tour this year though 2 amateurs have won. I dont know what relevance that question has though to this discussion on Shane Lowrys future.

PhilipMarlowe

Mickelson was the last amateur winner on the PGA tour, early 90's...
Danny Lee won on the European tour earlier this year...
Pablo Martin won last year or maybe 2 years ago?

gorfield

conno16 wrote: »

my point there blunder is in relation to turnberry
the course will suit his style
hence i reckon he might top the irish list

i do think in the longer term of his 2-year exemption he'll fade into the background
why do i think this - because i feel he is limited as a golfer
best of luck to him tho

one question for the golf supremos here - last year, how many amateurs won comps on the pga tour?

None on the pga tour, 1 danny Lee on the european tour. But look at the amateurs that have won on tour in the past, Mickelson, verplank.......pretty limited talent there as well yeah? You need to be one very special talent to win as an amateur. rory played 11 times on tour as an am with best finish of T22, woods never came close to winning as an amateur.

f22

conno16 wrote: »

fair enough gorfield
you clearly know more about lowry than i do
i'll keep watching tho

While you're watching Lowry try to get a grasp on how to structure a sentence and paragraph. Ever hear of fullstops and capitalising the first letter of a sentence?

Dolph Starbeam

What do people think about him sticking with the same caddy for the tour, i kno David has caddied for him for 2 or so years and is himself a good golfer but will he need a more experienced caddy to help him a bit more? I noticed he didn't look like on tele that he gave Shane much help on lines of putts etc., maybe thats how Shane wants it. Whats ye're opinions?

Blunder

The article in the Indo today goes into this a bit. It says that Shane prefers to line his putts etc. I think its not really a problem in relation to experience. Being able to trust and get on with someone I feel is one of the main things required. The golfer makes the final decision at the end of the day.

gorfield

MOG7 wrote: »

What do people think about him sticking with the same caddy for the tour, i kno David has caddied for him for 2 or so years and is himself a good golfer but will he need a more experienced caddy to help him a bit more? I noticed he didn't look like on tele that he gave Shane much help on lines of putts etc., maybe thats how Shane wants it. Whats ye're opinions?

I think its a great idea for dave to go with him.He was a great athlete in his day, and as a free taker at inter-county standard he is very familiar with the importance of routine and being alone in a high pressure situation, to all who watched you will notice shaper never once got excited or flustered. I think he was a huge part in helping shane deal with what was going on, and after talking to him earlier he did mention he couldnt believe how calm dave was! I think any other "amateur" caddy would have been over excited and affected his player. Good luck to them both, i think itl work well.

thegen

Well, what a thread. Surprise, surprise who OP is.

I for one believe Lowry will only get better. If he can handle the pressure of playing in his National Open and winning out in a play off I think he is ready.

I was at Baltray and the lad looked so calm under pressure, he was loving it coming up 18.

I hope he goes on to bigger and better things.

OP post in whatever sport or hobby you are knowledgable about.

soundsham

jeez,
harrington's caddy had a lot of experience too!!!

since when are caddy's the be all and end all surely it'll be great just to have a friend someone to talk to both on and off the course

mag

the caddy thing will be interesting for sure. shaper seems to have a calm effect & keeps out of shanes way (apart from a few words i saw him have with him at the irish amateur).
could be a harrington situation where their friendship works well on the course as well as off, but its a tough game and if another caddy was deemed to be advantageous (great reader of greens, or more experience of the tour courses) then it would make for a difficult decision if things are touch and go.

Aidric

I wish Lowry all the best in his pro career. He showed a hell of a lot of composure last weekend for such a young guy. He obviously has the skill range and shot making ability and can only get better.

Dolph Starbeam

soundsham wrote: »

jeez,
harrington's caddy had a lot of experience too!!!

since when are caddy's the be all and end all surely it'll be great just to have a friend someone to talk to both on and off the course

Haha chilax it was a simple question and i only asked what people thought, Lowry seems happy just to have someone keep him focus and doesn't feel he needs the help on the greens, being an Offaly man i know of shaper and wish him the best of luck caddying for Shane.

f22

He also has conno16 looking after the technicalities of his swing so it's all systems go for team lowry

Adiaga 2

soundsham wrote: »

jeez,
harrington's caddy had a lot of experience too!!!

since when are caddy's the be all and end all surely it'll be great just to have a friend someone to talk to both on and off the course

Good point soundsham. I think the role of a caddy can be a little over-stated at times. I thought Lowry's caddy did a fantastic job at the Irish Open and really looked like he'd been out on tour for years. I was wondering who he was myself last week and then saw a thread on here asking the same question. He seemed really calm especially when Lowry holed a couple of crucial putts towards the end of the final round. He seemed to keep the player grounded.

As for lining up putts. Personally I'd be worried for player starting out tour relying on a caddie to line up putts. With the exception of maybe Mickelson I don't think you'll find too many great putters who overly involve their caddy in the process.

For a good insight into a caddy's lot and life on the tour in general I'd recommend Lawrence Donegan's book "Four Iron In The Soul" - great read.

soundsham

MOG7 wrote: »

Haha chilax it was a simple question


wtf

slumped

conno16 wrote: »

what do ye reckon folks
i think he'll actually kick on this year before burning out bigtime within 12 months
i could actually see him being the top irish finisher in the open later in july
currently at 220 to 1 to win it
thats about right

if i was lowry i'd be milking it for what its worth at the min
having studied his swing and technique i feel he is definately very limited in comparison to top pros.
clearly he'll now step up his approach to practice etc but lets see how that goes

Let's see how he goes.......

Conno, you eating your own words yet?

European Tour
Ranking 51st
Played 23 events
Won €421,327 this year so far.

Ranking - up to well inside top 100.

Do you still think his swing and technique needs work? Maybe give his coach a call and let him know what he's doing wrong. He probably needs someone to tell him.

conno16

lowry has amazed me quite frankly
like a duck to water, he has hit the ground running at the end of the day
he is a great advert for the game, both amateur and professional
it is only a matter of time before he gatecrashes the top 50
you cant win a major on day one, but you can certainly lose it - he has shown he has the appetite for a 4-day event
mcilroy will be as sick as a parrot if big shane wins a major before him, but there are no easy majors out there these days
its all to play for though in 2011, golf is a funny auld game

Osgoodisgood

conno16 wrote: »

lowry has amazed me quite frankly
like a duck to water, he has hit the ground running at the end of the day
he is a great advert for the game, both amateur and professional
it is only a matter of time before he gatecrashes the top 50
you cant win a major on day one, but you can certainly lose it - he has shown he has the appetite for a 4-day event
mcilroy will be as sick as a parrot if big shane wins a major before him, but there are no easy majors out there these days
its all to play for though in 2011, golf is a funny auld game

The Cliche Police have just put out an APB for you. I think you're looking at spending some serious time in the big house fella.