Shane Lowry and partner Rory McIlroy captured the Zurich Classic earlier this year.
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If you have never played a pro-am before, I highly recommend doing so. Sure, it's competitive and everyone tries to play their best golf, but it can also be more fun than a regular round because of the whole team aspect.
I wrote down 10 things I learned from my very first pro-am last summer, which was an unreal experience that tested my mental game as much as my physical game. And while I appreciate the guys I played with (four guys on each team), with all due respect to my teammates, I would love to have Shane Lowry as a teammate.
Playing in a pro-am? Pro says focus on these 2 things
Zephyr Melton
Lowry is one of the most successful players in the world, and often finds himself hovering around the top of the leaderboard during most tournaments – as evidenced by his five T10s this season. And as someone who often does his own pro-ams, Lowry is more than happy to share advice for students who attend them.
So what pro-am tips does Lowry have? He recently revealed some to our own Dylan Dethier on GOLF The warmth (and he talked about a bunch of other topics, too), which you can see in the video below. (Ed. Note: The tip starts at the 19:14 mark in the video below, or on YouTube here).
2 pro-am tips from Shane Lowry
Dethier begins the conversation with Lowry by asking about his tendency to play in the pro-ams, and wonders if he enjoys lending advice or if he's the quiet type. Lowry gave a funny answer.
“I'm not going to be a great coach,” Lowry replied to Dethier's question. “I don't think much of the game technically, but I can give quick tips that will fix someone.”
Lowry then shares one of his favorite things to do on the golf course: Giving advice and seeing the recipient play better immediately.
“My favorite thing to do is give someone a quick tip, and then watch them start playing well until their expert is gone,” he adds. Then they think he is the perfect hero.
10 secrets Shane Lowry taught me in an hour on the driving range
Dylan Dethier
When asked about the most common advice he gives to budding players like you or me, Lowry first asks someone how much golf they play before diving in to share some tips.
“I'm trying to fix their setup,” he replied. “When they told me it was their second round this year, I was like, 'I'd be sh*t too if I only played twice a year.'”
Lowry then offers a sobering reminder for all non-students to remember – especially when it comes to managing expectations on the golf course.
“I play golf with the best players in the world every day, so you're not going to impress me today, so don't try,” he quipped. “I think that's good advice because, usually, they're very scared. If you could put me on a football field and make me do that in front of a bunch of people, maybe I would have less anxiety.”
So while anxiety about playing is a mental obstacle that many golfers often struggle with, Lowry reminds players of all levels to stay within themselves and just play their games.
You can watch the full episode of Warming Up with Shane Lowry below, and get more great golf tips by following the GOLF YouTube channel.
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