Shane Lowry says his heart goes out to the families of the Grenfell Tower tragedy after confirming this week that he will no longer be sponsored by Irish building materials company Kingspan.
The 37-year-old, who is preparing for this week's Amgen Irish Open at Royal County Down, announced earlier this week in a brief statement the "mutual" agreement to end the sponsorship deal.
It comes after last week's report on the fire found that the Cavan-based company "knowingly created a 'false market' in insulation for use on buildings over 18 metres in height".
The 2019 Open champion has faced repeated calls since the 2017 fire, where 72 people died, to drop Kingspan as a sponsor.
Speaking to the media ahead of this week’s competition in Down, Lowry was pressed further about his decision to end the sponsorship, which began a month before the tragedy.
"I can't imagine what those families are going through for the past few years," he said. "I'm not going to sit here and talk too much about it.
"It's obviously a touchy subject. My heart goes out to them, it is what it is for me and Kingspan.
"I've said all I have to yesterday. I said at the end of the statement I wasn't going to make any further comment, I'm sticking by that."
Shane Lowry is turning his focus to qualifying for the Ryder Cup admitting that it's "probably the main driving points of my career right now." pic.twitter.com/2TBxH4KA1N
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 11, 2024
Having made his Ryder Cup debut in 2021 as a captain’s pick, the Offaly man's second appearance last year came as part of a victorious campaign in Rome.
He holds a record of 2-2-2, but has work to do if he’s to make the 2025 selection when Europe put their title on the line at Bethpage, New York next September.
"I really, really want to be on that team," he said. "That is one of the main reasons I practice. I would say it is the main driving point of my career right now.
"It will be a hard team to make. Hopefully I can do and hopefully we can go and win the trophy."
Whether Jon Rahm, a key component in Europe's success last year, is part of the 2025 team remains to be seen.
Despite the move to LIV Golf, the Spaniard would be eligible if he were to make four appearances this season on the DP World Tour, which has fined the rebels but not banned them outright like the PGA.
The Olympic Games counts as one appearance but Rahm would need to make three more this season, at a time when the DP World Tour has spoken of the need to look out for its interests amid the LIV Golf circuit dispute.
Rahm said today that he has entered the Spanish Open and would also like to play the Andalucia Masters and Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in Scotland. However, he does not plan to pay any fines and does not know if the tour will allow him to enter.
"Still talking to the DP World Tour," Rahm said ahead of the showdown with Joaquin Niemann for LIV's individual title in Chicago.
"I’m entered to the tournament. We entered a long time ago. Whether they let me play or not is a different thing. I’ve been outspoken about the fines. I don’t intend to pay the fines and we keep trying to have a discussion with them about how we can make this happen."
Lowry was pressed for his thoughts on the matter, before it emerged Rahm had entered the Spanish Open.
"Do I want Jon Rahm on the Ryder Cup team? Yes," he said. "Should he be allowed break the rules and make the team, should there be exceptions made? I’m not sure, that’s not for me to decide.
"At the end of the day, we want to try and have the 12 best players next year in Bethpage. If he’s one of them, then yeah, we probably do want him.
"Rambo in the Ryder Cup is an absolute animal… but is any one person bigger than the Ryder Cup. I’m not sure, we’ll see."
"It's great as an Irish player that you can be proud of the event" - Padraig Harrington is looking forward to teeing it up at his 29th Amgen Irish Open, which he feels has regained its status on the calendar | Live on @RTE2 and @RTEPlayer from 12.45pm Thursday pic.twitter.com/Z2EY7X7BJS
— RTÉ Sport (@RTEsport) September 11, 2024
Former captain Padraig Harrington believes the current rules must be enforced as Ryder Cup eligibility is key in ensuring Europe's biggest names – who are primarily US-based – return to play DP World Tour events.
"You know, we had this situation back in my day where players playing on the US Tour were refusing to come back and play enough events and wanted dispensations and exemptions," 2021 captain Harrington said.
"If anybody knows me, I’m a stickler for the rules. Whatever the rules say, you know the rules and you stick to them.
"I’m a big fan of Jon, I’m friends with Jon but if the rules are written down, that’s just the way it is. The Ryder Cup is bigger than just the match. It is the backbone of The European Tour.
"The European Tour doesn’t have a lot of leverage to get players to come back across and play here. The Ryder Cup is the carrot that we use to get people to come back.
"It is a very tough situation for Luke Donald and The Ryder Cup in the sense of they really do want to have the best team and there is a case for saying, you know, give ourselves the best chance of winning, that’s as important a factor as anything in keeping the European Tour at the forefront of golf.
"But the 12th guy who qualifies by sticking to the rules gets bumped out, he’s not going to be happy if somebody else has not stuck to the rules. We can’t forget that person, either."
Of more short-term concern to 2009 winner Lowry is his bid to claim a second Irish Open title.
Sweden's Vincent Norrman, who tees off alongside Hollywood pair Rory McIlroy and Tom McKibbin at 1pm tomorrow, will defend the crown after his closing 65 clinched a one-stroke victory at the K Club last year.
Padraig Harrington plays with Dane Nicolai Højgaard and Belgium's Thomas Detry at 8am while Lowry is in a group that contains Bob MacIntyre and New Zealand’s Ryan Fox (12.50pm).
Lowry's intention to play the famous Down course in the summer fell through so he has had just nine holes so far to reacquaint himself with a course famed for its greens and run-off areas.
It should suit one of the best short-games players on the circuit, but Lowry feels it will be about managing the setbacks as much as anything else.
"You need to play towards the front edge of every green," he explained. "They are hard greens to hit in two, but it’s about missing in the right places
"This week isn’t going to be about your good shots, but about your bad shots, making sure they don’t get you in too much trouble."
Watch the Irish Open on Thursday from 12.45pm on RTÉ2 and RTÉ Player, 7.55am on Friday and 12.30pm on Saturday and Sunday.
