The Irishman will pair up with Rory McIlroy for the tournament as the duo will aim to win the first medal in golf for Ireland at the Olympics.

Lowry noted that it felt good seeing what the Olympics meant to those who chose him and hopes to do the country proud when he plays at the Kasumigaseki Country Club next month.

“I think it’s just pretty cool that I’m going,” said the one-time major winner.

The 2019 Open Champion is going over there searching for success and not for the experience alone, adding that he wants a medal.

Lowry ruled himself out of contention for the first-ever golfing tournament at the Rio Olympics in 2016 due to the outbreak of the Zika virus at the time.

At that time, he was recently newlywed to his wife Wendy and they were planning to have a family.

Statement on my Olympic Games participation pic.twitter.com/KY4YBzFa3g

— Shane Lowry (@ShaneLowryGolf) June 28, 2016

Based on that, he was advised not to travel to Rio to take part in the Olympic games and instead put his family’s welfare first.

Five years later, a year longer than expected, he will represent his country at the Olympics, something he described in his statement from June 2016 as an honour that would bring him “a huge source of pride.”

The Ryder Cup is another tournament that is also in the sights of the Irish golfer.

Lowry feels he is on course to be chosen by Pádraig Harrington to represent Europe in their defence of the trophy at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin.

His ability to stay in Ireland ahead of the upcoming Open Championship and subsequently his appearance at the Open will help his case as Whistling Straits is a links course, much like many courses in Ireland and Britain.

Lowry believes he only needs to replicate the form he has been in over the last year to be picked.

“I’ve put myself pretty close to the team. I think some good golf over the next couple of months will do that.”

Tee times and broadcast details for the 2021 Irish Open are available here.

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5,000 spectators will be in attendance over the weekend to watch McIlroy and co. go up against each other with a €3 million purse at stake.

The four-time major winner will play in the Irish Open for the first time since 2018, the last year it was hosted by the Rory Foundation.

Ryder Cup captain Pádraig Harrington and vice-captain Graeme McDowell join the aforementioned two on the list of Irish major winners in Kilkenny for this week’s tournament.

2020 Irish Open winner Todd Cantlin will also take part and is paired with Rory McIlroy for the opening rounds.

Looks like a fine and warm start for the Irish Open at Mount Juliet, County Kilkenny, on Thursday and Friday. Warm over the weekend but a chance of some rain. Stay tuned. #IrishOpen pic.twitter.com/kp6qSyZHgJ

— Barra Best (@barrabest) June 28, 2021

The Mount Juliet golf course, designed by Jack Nicklaus, is an American-style parkland course and will look familiar to courses on the PGA Tour.

It is the first time the golf course has been the venue for the tournament since 1995 when Sam Torrance claimed victory in a playoff against Stuart Gage and Howard Clark.

The venue was expected to host the 2020 Irish Open but last year’s instalment was moved to Galgorm Castle due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Betting

McIlroy comes into the Irish Open as an 11/2 favourite to win the event and is 14/1 to lead after the first day, an achievement not uncommon in a McIlroy victory.

Shane Lowry is viewed as the second favourite to win the Irish Open on 14/1.

Both golfers have previously won the tournament with Rory’s win coming in 2016 at the K Club and Shane Lowry’s triumph being his breakthrough performance as an amateur at the County Louth Golf Club in 2009.

Tommy Fleetwood, who tees off with Rory McIlroy in the opening rounds is also tipped to do well this weekend with odds of 4/1 on a top-five finish.

Two-time major winner and Ryder Cup vice-captain Martin Kaymer is the wild card of the bunch with favourable odds on both a high-end finish and missing the cut.

The German is seen as a possible banana slip by bookies as he sits on 5/2 to finish inside the top 10 for some bookmakers and 5/2 to miss the cut for others.

Irish Open First Round Tee Times For Irish Golfers

8:00 am: Shane Lowry, Jonathan Caldwell

8:10 am: Pádraig Harrington

8:20 am: Simon Thornton

9:20 am: Cormac Sharvin, Paul Dunne

12:50 pm: Niall Kearney

1 pm: Rory McIlroy

1 pm: Rowan Lester

1:10 pm: Graeme McDowell

2 pm: Colm Moriarty

2:10 pm: Caolan Rafferty

2:20 pm: Gavin Moynihan, Mark Power

2:30 pm: Neil O’Briain

2:30 pm: Robin Dawson

Where To Watch

The Irish Open will be available to watch on RTÉ 2 and the RTÉ Player from Thursday with coverage starting at 1:30 pm.

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Reports state that it is now “likely” that Ireland’s showpiece golfing event will take place in Galgorm from September 24th to September 27th. This would be to allow those from the USA to travel without having to quarantine. As we know by now restrictions mean that anyone arriving from the USA have to self isolate for a period of 14 days. These restrictions do not apply in Northern Ireland. The Belfast Telegraph report that efforts were made to make the event happen in Co Kilkenny as well as the Old Head of Kinsale. However, due to the Covid 19 restrictions European Tour organisers were forced to go up North.

However, the only negative about moving the tournament is that many European players may not travel as up to 40 players from Europe will be contesting the US Open the previous week. This will likely limit the field. Although, players like Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry could compete in tournament. However, McIlroy has stated he is staying in the US as of now due to the current Covid 10 pandemic. He said at the start of August, “I don’t know if I want to travel, I don’t know if I want to be exposed to more things and more people,”.

Incidentally, Galgorm us also due to host the Challenge Tour’s 160,000 pounds Northern Ireland Open also in September. This event is due to take place from September 3rd to 6th.

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In fact BBC Sport report that McIlroy was along with a number off other golfers called for the event to be postponed if spectators were not allowed attend. The event between Europe and the USA is due to take place in Whistling Straits from September 25th to 27th. Speaking to BBC Northern Ireland, the Holywood native said “My personal hunch is that I don’t see how it is going to happen, so I do not think that it will happen,”.

McIlroy said the majority of players would like to see it pushed back to 2021. This would then allow for spectators and an atmosphere. He said, “I think the majority of players would like to see it pushed back until 2021 so that they can play in front of crowds and have the atmosphere that makes the Ryder Cup so special”.He stated that without the players “there is no Ryder Cup”.

McIlroy played a charity skin’s match last month with Dustin Johnson, Rickie Fowler and Matthew Wolff. No spectators were in attendance for this. He also said he would have no problem travelling to Europe later this year. Stating that “It’s a tough one. There are a lot of things up in the air, but if there are some big events in autumn time, then I can,”.

The 31 year old said that if Wentworth gets moved to October he would consider going to the event. “Maybe if Wentworth gets moved to October, which they are thinking of, then I could see myself going over and playing that event”. He said he wouldn’t have a problem travelling In Europe, as long as measures were in place and guidelines were adhered to. He said, “I wouldn’t have concerns about travelling to Europe. I think if you stick to the guidelines then I don’t see any reason why we should feel scared to travel.”

McIlroy was also asked whether he will play at the Irish Open which was postponed but a possible autumn date is in the mix for rescheduling. The event will take place at Mount Juliet in Kilkenny. He said he was wasnt really sure and that his mind is firmly on the PGA Tour events. I don’t know, I really don’t know,” he continued. “I haven’t looked past the PGA Tour play-offs [scheduled for September]. All I have pinpointed for the back end of the year at the minute are the majors”.

Golf was brought to a hault on March 12th. But the PGA Tour will resume on June 11th behind closed doors at the Charles Schwab Colonial event in Texas.

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