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Shane Lowry in action at the BMW Championship last week. Alamy Stock Photo

'It's almost embarrassing that I haven't been here' - Lowry set for Tour Championship debut

The Offaly native plays at the Tour Championship in Atlanta for the first time today.

SHANE LOWRY TEES off for the first time at the Tour Championship today in Atlanta, his qualification representing a major breakthrough for the Offaly native.

Lowry is off at 5.49pm (Irish time) in his opening round, playing alongside Australian Adam Scott.

The 2019 Open champion had failed previously to be involved in the season-ending tournament that features the top 30 players on the FedEx Cup points list.

His absence from the action at East Lake GC in Atlanta had become a sore point.

โ€œItโ€™s almost embarrassing that I havenโ€™t been here. Iโ€™ve been a pro a long time, but yeah, I havenโ€™t been here. But it is nice to be here this week, and I feel like my game is okay. Golf course is going to play quite difficult.

โ€œItโ€™s always a goal at the start of the year, and thankfully this year I got to fulfil it.โ€

Lowry enters the tournament in 13th in the FedEx Cup standings, a reward for a year that saw him win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with Rory McIlroy in April, while also finishing sixth in two Majors, the PGA Championship and the Open Championship.

The scoring format for this weekโ€™s event sees him begin at -3, seven shots behind leader Scottie Scheffler.

โ€œI give shots to my friends every day at home, but my friends are not Scottie Scheffler and Rory McIlroy and Xander Schauffele. It is new, but a good start the first day and youโ€™re back in the tournament.

atlanta-georgia-usa-28th-aug-2024-scottie-scheffler-usa-tees-off-the-first-hole-during-a-practice-round-at-the-2024-tour-championship-at-east-lake-golf-club-credit-image-debby-wongzu Scottie Scheffler during a practice round at the 2024 Tour Championship. Alamy Stock Photo Alamy Stock Photo

โ€œIn my head Iโ€™m seeing it as like a five-round event that Iโ€™ve got 3-under the first round and Iโ€™m seven back of the leader and I need to kind of pick away at that over the four days and see where it leaves me on Sunday.

โ€œThereโ€™s no doubt about it, Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele have had the best years of anyone and theyโ€™re by far ahead of everybody else. But they only start a couple of shots ahead of people this week. But thatโ€™s the Playoffs. Thatโ€™s American sports.

โ€œWeโ€™re trying to make it as best as we can for the people watching, and as easy as it can be. I think itโ€™s pretty good, and I think itโ€™s worked well over the last few years.

โ€œI certainly donโ€™t deserve to come here to East Lake and start on the same score as Scottie Scheffler. But itโ€™s up to me to try and make that up this week.โ€

Lowry has undergone an intense schedule of late, including featuring in Paris at the Olympics. There is no let-up as he is set to feature at The Irish Open (12-15 September), the BMW PGA Championship (19-22 September), and the Spanish Open (26-29 September).

โ€œYeah, itโ€™s going to be hard. Iโ€™ve just done three weeks away from my family, my kids. Iโ€™m about to do another good run going back to Europe. Thatโ€™s probably the most difficult part for me. Itโ€™s nothing to do with the fatigue levels and the getting up for golf, but when youโ€™re FaceTiming your kids and theyโ€™re asking you when youโ€™re going to be home and itโ€™s not going to be for another three weekends, that always gets hard.

โ€œBut it is what it is; thatโ€™s what we have to do. Going back to play the Irish Open and Wentworth is going to be two big tournaments for me. Irish Open means a lot to me, and Wentworth, Iโ€™ve done quite well there in the past and I really love the tournament.

โ€œGoing back and playing in those and then Madrid the week after, I have a big stint away, but after that Iโ€™ll have some time off. Iโ€™ll have plenty of time off this winter to get ready for 2025.โ€

shane-lowry Shane Lowry in action at the Irish Open in 2015. Cathal Noonan / INPHO Cathal Noonan / INPHO / INPHO

He is looking forward to playing at Royal County Down for the Irish Open.

โ€œObviously going and playing the Irish Open, itโ€™s always one of the weeks at the start of the year where I look and I want to perform that week. Going to Royal County Down, I havenโ€™t played there since we were there in 2015. Going back there is going to be cool.

โ€œItโ€™s obviously one of the great golf courses in the world, one of the great venues. I just hope we get some good weather. If we get some good weather itโ€™ll be an amazing week.

โ€œIโ€™m going back next weekend. I get to play some links golf, so thatโ€™ll take a little bit of getting used to again, but looking forward to it.โ€

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    Mute Aidan Lennon
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    Aug 18th 2013, 6:42 PM

    Article doesnโ€™t mention that the USA team totally messed up their second handover and came back from a virtual standing start to nearly clinch the silver medal

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    Mute Nicholas Ring
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    Aug 18th 2013, 8:37 PM

    France were disqualified. USA picked up the silver and Britain bronze.

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    Mute Tadhg Luby
    Favourite Tadhg Luby
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    Aug 19th 2013, 6:15 PM

    Even with the US mix up, thereโ€™s no denying the level of talent JAM produces for a small country.

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