It’s surprising how with only two weeks to go for the Ryder Cup, people are still debating the captain’s picks on both sides. While fans have mostly moved on from their disappointments, the reactions of concerned golfers are still coming in as and when the opportunity presents itself.

In a recent interview, one European Ryder Cup player playing the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth spoke about this. He answered a question about the backlash against Shane Lowry being on the team, and he shared his thoughts on the matter.

Eleven-time European Tour winner backs his Ryder Cup teammate

Justin Rose, who is playing in the ongoing BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, spoke in an interview to Bunkered about his Ryder Cup mates. The discussion primarily revolved around Shane Lowry. 

Rose expressed his surprise over how Lowry has only played one Ryder Cup so far. He even remarked that Lowry is “a bit of a late bloomer for the Ryder Cup.” The 43-year-old opined that although Lowry had not had the best year, it wasn’t because of his performance. He felt that Lowry just didn’t get the results this time. 

Explaining his stand further, Rose spoke about how finishing 20th in a tournament is not bad golf, irrespective of how the number looks. “That’s fricking good golf!. The margin of competing at the highest level is so small.” Rose also mentioned how Lowry proved himself by finishing third in the recent Irish Open.

To add some perspective, to what Rose said, let’s do a little analysis. In the Wyndham Championship this year, Shane Lowry finished with a shared 51st position after the final round. He had a score of 3-under par. If we look at the difference in scores between the first player (20-under) and the two players who shared the fifth position on the leaderboard (13-under), the number is 7. 

If we add that difference to Lowry’s 3-under, he would have a 10-under score and would have finished the tournament with a shared 14th position. One can see how minor differences in scores can bring a drastic change on the leaderboard. 

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Let’s take a quick recap of what Lowry said about the negative comments on his inclusion in the team.

Shane Lowry justifies his place in the Ryder Cup

When the captain’s picks for the European Ryder Cup team came up, there was considerable skepticism over Lowry’s pick. Initially, he expressed his excitement about the pick. When the comments started coming in, the 36-year-old addressed the backlash and said he deserved a spot on the team. He backed his argument with justifications as well. 

The Irish golfer pointed out how, if team selection happened purely based on statistics, he would still make the team. At the time of selection, he stood at number 8 in Ryder Cup standings. He argued that if the top 12 directly qualified for the team, he would be there too.

Lowry then listed out how he could be a great addition to the team. He claimed he would be good for the rookies in the team and for the team’s morale. He further added that he is “not going to be afraid of anyone that comes to stand on the first tee in two weeks’ time.”

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