Shane Lowry swears he will return the Claret Jug intact.
The Champion Golfer of the (past two) Years will turn over the oldest trophy in championship golf – it’s been given to the victor of the Open Championship since 1872 – the Monday ahead of beginning his title defense in the 149th Open at Royal St George’s in Sandwich, Kent, England.
That leaves him seven weeks of possession before the Open begins July 15.
“I’m going to be disappointed to be giving back the Claret Jug, but hopefully I’m only giving it back for a few days,” Lowry said Tuesday in a Zoom conference with reporters. “I can assure you that it is in good shape and it will be coming back nice and shiny.”
The Irishman has had the Claret Jug for 22 months now after he won his lone major at Royal Portrush in Ireland in 2019 (the tournament was canceled last year due to the global pandemic). Yes, all sorts of beverages have been consumed out of the Claret Jug, many of the adult variety, but he hasn’t gone all gonzo with the 21-inch tall silver beauty.
Still, in an airport during his travels, he did notice something was amiss.
“It has been sent back to be straightened once,” Lowry said with a smile “I noticed on the airport scanner that it was a little bit of a bend in it. It’s not just me. I did talk to (2015 Open champion) Zach Johnson about this and he told me that he bent it, as well, so it’s not only me.”
With the Claret Jug in his custody, Lowry saw firsthand how truly powerful it is.
“I had the Claret Jug with me at the Race to Dubai at the end of 2019 and I was wheeling it through the hotel, and this guy was there, and he stopped me, and he’s like, ‘Is that the Claret Jug?’” Lowry said. “And I was like, ‘Yeah,’ and we started to talk. Next thing, he begged me if he could see it, so I opened up the box and I showed him, and he held the Claret Jug and he started to cry because he was holding the Claret Jug. That’s what that trophy actually means to people that love their golf. Just to have it in my possession and being able to kind of share it with all my friends and family and other people has been just incredible.”
His lone experience at Royal St George’s – where Darren Clarke held off Phil Mickelson and Dustin Johnson to win the Open in 2011 – was not incredible.
“I played the Amateur Championship in 2006 there and I shot 81 in the one round that I played around there, and I haven’t been back since,” Lowry said. “I know it’s one of the trickiest venues we have, especially if you get a good UK summer. It’s so far south that it can get firm and fast and play like proper links golf. So it’ll be a great test. Just the whole experience of going there as defending champion, I’m really looking forward to it.”
As he plays his way to the Open, another piece of hardware is on his mind – the Ryder Cup. Presently, Lowry is just outside the top 9 in the standings who automatically qualify for Team Europe. Captain Padraig Harrington will round out his team with three discretionary selections.
Padraig Harrington of Ireland and Shane Lowry of Ireland fist bump after Harrington played his tee shot on the 17th hole during the final round of the 2021 PGA Championship. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
Lowry, a winner of two PGA Tour titles and three more on the European Tour, did himself proud this past Sunday when paired with Harrington in the final round of the PGA Championship on the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island.
Both Lowry and Harrington shot 69 to move into a tie for fourth.
“It’s great to do it in the big tournaments. I feel like I’ve been doing that over the last couple of years, where I arrive at those big events and manage to kind of find some sort of an ‘A’ game or something towards my best game anyway,” said Lowry, who is ranked No. 44 in the world. “I play a lot of golf with Padraig anyway. But never do I get to play in that type of situation with him, so it was nice to kind of perform when you are kind of in the heat of the battle and out there on the back nine of a major championship.
“I’m in a good position now to go ahead and make the team this year. If I play good enough or play to the best of my ability over the next few months, I could make that team. That’s my main goal, to obviously go and make it. If I don’t make it, to be so close that I kind of make his decision for him, because even though the whole rookie thing will be talked about, that I’m a rookie, I don’t feel like a rookie.
“I’ve won big tournaments. I’ve competed at the highest level. I feel like I definitely will add to the team if I’m there. I feel like I can bring a lot to the team. It’s just up to me to put my best foot forward this summer.”