‘I was jumping around the place like an eejit’ – Shane Lowry revels in Offaly’s U-20 hurling success

The 2019 Open champion, who is one of Offaly GAA’s biggest benefactors, admitted he was homesick after he watched the win over Tipperary during last week’s RBC Canadian Open.

“It’s great for Offaly hurling, great for those young lads, great for Michael Duignan, Lee O’Connor and all those lads,” Lowry said in a video call to promote the ticket ballot for The Open at Royal Portrush next year.

“I was very proud of what they’ve done. We have a long way to go to catch the big teams but they showed that we are certainly on the way.”

He admitted he might have jetted home for the match had he missed the cut in Canada and found it ironic he had such an early tee-time on Saturday he managed to catch the whole game.

“There was a direct flight to Dublin from Toronto, but yeah, I’m not sure I would have pulled the trigger,” he said from the Memorial in Ohio.

“We have got a big week this week and the US Open next week.

“I watched it. I finished like I planned to play bad on purpose the first two days. I got off the golf course at ten past two and the match started at quarter past.

“I got straight into the car and watched the first half on my phone and then watched the second half in the hotel room on my own with my Offaly jersey on sitting on the bed.

“Well, I wasn’t sitting much I was jumping around the place like an eejit. I was very proud.”

Lowry’s mother Bridget and father Brendan were at the game and it was only when his phone started blowing up that homesickness started to hit.

“I was homesick that day and homesick the next day,” he said. “The team went back to Tullamore and they were in my bar and all my friends were there.

“My mother and father were there and you’re getting pictures from home.”