Shane Lowry didn't hang around Pittsburgh too long to reflect on his near miss in the US Open as the 29-year-old jetted back home for a corporate golf day at Royal Dublin Golf Club on Monday . . . . although his finishing in the slipstream of new champion Dustin Johnson left what he described as "bitter" disappointment.
As Johnson overcame a rules controversy to take matters into his own hands by over-powering the course for a maiden Major title at Oakmont - the American finishing three shots clear of a trio that featured Lowry, Jim Furyk and Scott Piercy - there as a feeling that this was, as Lowry put it, "one that got away."
Lowry had started the final round with a four stroke lead but his final round 76 to Johnson’s 69 saw destiny swing the other way: “You know, you can only learn from your mistakes. I always say it’s only a mistake if you don’t learn from it. I’m sure I learned a lot from (the final round). I don’t know what it is yet, but when I’m in that position again, and I know I will be, I’ll handle it probably a little bit better.”
Of the rather bizarre situation that had players unsure of exactly where they stood coming down the stretch, with a question mark over whether or not Johnson would incur a penalty shot for an infringement on the fifth green when his ball moved on the green as he prepared to putt, Lowry said: “.No, it didn’t affect the way I played. If anything, I credit Dustin for playing the way he played on the way in, having that hanging over him, because I probably would have wanted to know straightaway if it was me.”
Lowry’s quest for a maiden title unravelled on the front nine which he covered in three over par to fall back to those chasing him down but he hung in and was still in with a good chance until a run of three three-putt bogeys in succession from the 14th ruined his chance.
“It caught up with me on 14. Really bad streak there, obviously on 15 and 16 as well. To do that, at that time in this tournament..... I mean, the more I think about it, the more upset I get. So that’s the way golf is. I just hope to get on with that. Itjust kind of spiralled out of control from there. It was one of those where I’d give anything to have that wide (approach) shot on 14 back again.”
Lowry's next outing will come in next week's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational at Akron where he will defend his title.
