Shane Lowry Searching For Caddy For Coming Months

He says he wouldn't expect anyone to spend two weeks in hotel quarantine for him.

Shane Lowry says he could be forced to sit out this year's Irish Open due to quarantine rules. 

The reigning Open champion has indicated that he's likely to stay in the US until he defends his Open title at Royal St George's in mid-July.

The government has added the US, Canada, Belgium, France and Italy to the list of countries that requires arrivals to mandatory hotel quarantine.

As a result, Lowry's caddie Brian Martin is due to fly back to Ireland this week before the new rules kick in.

Lowry believes the Irish Open - which is due to start on the 1st of July at Mount Julliet - could be "in trouble" due to the restrictions. 

Here's his thoughts after a closing 72 at Augusta National yesterday: 

Frustrating, like the last few days. I feel like I've played good enough golf this week to be out there somewhere around Amen Corner with a chance to win the tournament. I just kind of made a few too many mistakes along the way.

You know, the 9th hole perfectly kind of sums up my week. I'm 2-under playing nine. I've got a great chance. Genuinely, on this course I'm thinking, if I can hole this now and kind of get a bit of a run going on the back nine, who knows? Then I three-putt that, and I'm like, oh, now I'm struggling again.

Look, I've thoroughly enjoyed my week because I feel like every day I come out and play this place I'm figuring it out a little bit better. I love the way I played this week.

Yeah, overall, when I sit back and look at it, I will be pleased about how things went, but it will be one of those weeks where I feel like I could have done a lot better.

Matsuyama first came to Augusta as an amateur invitee. He leaves a decade later as Masters champion. #themasters pic.twitter.com/a5Av7pu9cw

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 12, 2021

The Ooen Champions says he's learning more about the course as he goes:

 Yeah, I think you just need to be -- when you get it on a day like today, you just really need to be ultra-conservative, and you will get your chances. Where if you're playing decent enough golf, you will get your chances out here. The likes of 12 for me are really -- it wasn't a great number. I really, really just should have got it in my head to hit it left of the hole over that bunker. Jack always says over that bunker, no matter where the flag is.

But the way golf is played now, you feel like -- I have a hard time aiming away from flags sometimes. That's why I think I don't really have -- I haven't really done too well around here because I struggle to be conservative. I struggle to not go at flags, and I struggle to aim away from flags. I just need to be a little more disciplined when I come back next year.

The tee shots and the whole place and everything about it, I feel like I'm starting to figure it out. Like I really am.

He's also confident his game is in a better place going into the summer months:

Yeah, I do. I feel like, if I go on doing what I'm doing, I'll do something okay in the next while. I'm playing at Hilton Head next week. I have no idea what I'm going to do after that because my caddie has to go home tomorrow night. He can't work next week because of this new quarantine they've brought in in Ireland from the States. Who knows when I'll be able to go home to Ireland, if I'll be able to go home to Ireland.

I have no idea what my schedule is going to be leading up to the Open, but it's definitely going to be mostly over here. I don't know if I'll get back to play in Europe at all.

With his caddie on the way home for a second vaccine dose, he's on the lookout for another partner for the coming tournaments:

I have no idea. Ireland brought in a quarantine rule from the U.S. for some strange reason on Thursday, and we just had to make a decision. Like he's waiting on his second dose of vaccine back home, I think, and he needs to go home and get everything sorted. I don't expect anyone to spend two weeks in a hotel for me in quarantine. I'm not going to do it, so I don't expect anyone else to do it.

There's a couple of guys who aren't playing next week and they're out there looking for a job.

So I'll find a caddie out there somewhere.

Lowry was also outspoken on the lack of an exemption for golfers in Ireland at the moment:

 Well, I think right now, if you look at what the Irish government are out there doing, I think the Irish Open is going to be in trouble because they're out there putting France, Germany, and the U.S. on a quarantine for two weeks. So I don't know what's going to happen there.

You know, it's pretty s--- for me, to be honest, because I know things are tough for everybody at the minute, but my coach and my team are going home tomorrow, and I probably won't see them until the Open. It's not great, you know, because I want them over here for the big tournaments, the PGA and the U.S. Open. We'll see what happens. I don't know. Maybe there will be exemptions or something. I have no idea.

We're an Olympic sport now. Maybe we should get an exemption. I have no idea.

To round off, the Clara man gave his thoughts on potentially winning a green jacket in the future:

Look, I hope so. I'll tell you, like I walked down -- I bogeyed 11 on Friday. I was 3-over for the tournament, and I sort of resigned myself to the fact I was never going to win a green jacket. Then I played lovely the last few holes and then played nicely yesterday, and you kind of -- you start to build your hopes up again. So who knows?

Look, I truly -- I hope I get the chance someday. I just hope I get the chance. I just really want the chance to do it around Amen Corner someday. Like I'd love to be in those last few groups out there. It's not great when you're out there playing for 10th or 15th or whatever. It's much nicer when you're in contention.

Goodnight from Augusta National. #themasters pic.twitter.com/blM36vUWxM

— The Masters (@TheMasters) April 12, 2021