Shane Lowry likes Bob MacIntyre being a 'determined, gritty character'

Shane Lowry would love to have Bob MacIntyre as one of his Ryder Cup team-mates in Rome in a year’s time on the strength of the Scot being a “determined, gritty character”.

Shane Lowry during a press conference in St Andrews ahead of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship. Picture: Oisin Keniry/Getty Images.

Lowry, who made his debut in the biennial event in the 2021 defeat at Whistling Straits, got off to a flying start in the latest qualification battle by winning the first counting event - the recent BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.

MacIntyre then followed him into the winner’s enclosure in the DS Automobiles Italian Open, which was staged at Marco Simone, the 2023 Ryder Cup course, on the outskirts of Rome.

The Oban man celebrated that success by declaring that getting into Luke Donald’s team was his “only goal for the next year”.

“The next ten months is probably going to be difficult for him,” said Lowry, speaking as he prepared to join MacIntyre in this week’s $5 million Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews, Carnoustie and Kingsbarns.

“It's going to be a lot of time, it's going to be all they think about, whether it's a good day or a bad day. I think it's important for them to go out and give it their all and don't hold back.

“It would be great to see people like that stand up and make the team and go there, the likes of Bob and Guido [Migliozzi, who is also to the fore on the European points list after winning the Cazoo Open de France last weekend].

“You look at Bob, he looks like a determined, gritty character. I would say it doesn't matter who he stands on the first tee against, he feels he can beat them. People like that, you want on your team.

“My advice for them is ust to plan their schedule, to not waiver from that and go out and go after it and hopefully things will go their way.”

Lowry was speaking shortly after standing in a queue in a coffee shop in St Andrews without barely being recognised.

“Yeah, look, this is an amazing town,” he said. “And you walk around town with your golf year, it's just normal. Obviously it's a student town, but it's a very historic golf town and I just love the history of being here and all that.”