Shane Lowry wants his second Claret Jug at Royal Troon this week but he’s also pulling for Rory McIlroy and his caddie after admitting the criticism they received after last month’s US Open heartbreak “made my blood boil.”
Lowry knows how McIlroy felt following his one-shot loss to Bryson DeChambeau at Pinehurst, having blown a four-shot final-round lead in the US Open at Oakmont just weeks before getting to Troon in 2016.
“Shane Lowry in 2016 and Rory McIlroy in 2024 are two completely different people so I think Rory will be able to handle it a lot better than I did,” Lowry said.
“I really struggled for the next few months after the US Open, and I was open about that, but I’m sure Rory will be fine.
“He looked like he played some nice golf last week. I watched a bit of it, and he seems to be in great form on and off the course. I feel he will bounce back nicely this week.”
McIlroy missed short putts at the 16th and 18th at Pinehurst while caddie Diamond was criticised for the Holywood star’s bogey at the 15th as his man lost a two-shot lead coming down the stretch,
“It’s the one thing that really drives me insane,” Lowry said. “I watched Rory and watched him miss those two putts and not win, and then you have people criticising him and Harry, which is, I mean, it really makes my blood boil.
“Harry Diamond is the best person in the world to caddie for Rory McIlroy, and I see it week in and week out. He works harder than any of the caddies out here.
“He’s always here before him, walking the courses; he’s there for him, and even though he’s not in the middle of the tee box like all these caddies who want to be on TV talking loud and telling Rory what to do, he still makes his voice heard. “Until you live that moment and that situation you never know how it is.
“When Rory hit that chip shot on 18, I knew putt would be very difficult. I had that putt from 20 feet up the hill, so I knew it would be very difficult, he just couldn’t play enough break on it.
“It was one of those things and I’m sure he’s thought of it for the last while. Like I say, honestly, I’ve lived the situation. I don’t think anybody is fit to comment on it.”
