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"We're still good friends" - Shane Lowry on difficult decision to part ways with caddie

The last few weeks have seen a real upswing in form for Shane Lowry and the Offaly man had a stro...



"We're still good frie...
Golf

"We're still good friends" - Shane Lowry on difficult decision to part ways with caddie

The last few weeks have seen a real upswing in form for Shane Lowry and the Offaly man had a strong four-days of action at the PGA Championship.

Indeed, at times, he was well in contention for victory at Bellerive in Missouri as golf's major season drew to a close, ultimately finishing in a tie for 12th, eight shots behind eventual winner Brooks Koepka.

And as he battles to keep hold of his PGA Tour card, the Irishman will be aiming for a strong showing at the Wyndham Championship in North Carolina to try and do just that.

"We're still good friends" - Shane Lowry on difficult decision to part ways with caddie

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He's up to 139th in the FedEx Cup rankings and needs to make it into the Top 125 to retain his US tour card with a Top 5 finish at Wyndham.

As he moves towards that challenge with confidence on the up, he chatted to Joe Molloy from Greensboro, North Carolina about the weekend's experience at the PGA Championship. 

"I know I didn't have the finish that I really would have wanted but looking back on it, it was one of the best days on the golf course I've ever had," he said, adding that it was "mayhem" on an exciting final day of the weekend.

SHANE LOWRY from Ireland and JUSTIN THOMAS from Goshen Kentucky, USA shake hands after completion of their round during round four of the 100th PGA Championship on Sunday, August 12, 2018, held at Bellerive Country Club in Town and Country, MO. Picture by: Richard Ulreich/Zuma Press/PA Images

Another highlight was having his father there watching on - although that was not pre-planned.

"He actually wasn't supposed to come and then when Alan [my brother] was going to caddie for me, I said to him, 'You might as well come over because it might never happen again', and we just had such a good week, the three of us together," he said of that special family moment.

One issue that caught the attention was the unsympathetic tone of the CBS TV commentary on the 16th hole as Lowry sought a ruling from officials who delayed play.

"I seen afterwards that the CBS guys were giving me a bit of stick for holding up Justin Thomas. I'm not sure they realised that I was actually playing the final round as well," Lowry said of their dismissive tone.

Shane Lowry checks details on the #2 hole with his caddie Alan Lowry during the final round of the PGA Championship on August 12, 2018, at Bellerive Country Club, St. Louis, MO. (Photo by Keith Gillett/Icon Sportswire) (� Keith Gillett/Icon SMI via ZUMA Press)

Lowry now has his brother Alan on the bag as his caddie after parting ways with Dermot Byrne after nine successful years. He touched on that decision.

"It was probably one of the most difficult things I had to do," he said, before touching on how they've maintained a good relationship since then.

"We spoke a little bit last week and we were on a charter flight down here to Wyndham and we sat beside each other on the plane and stuff. We're still good friends. He's been very good to me and I've been good to him so that's kind of the way we left it."

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