TONY LEEN
Shane Lowry believes that July's Irish Open at Mount Juliet has been thrown into doubt by the Government's new quarantine measures for a number of countries.
Lowry, who finished in a tie for 21st at the Augusta Masters, said afterwards that the latest Government measures here on incoming travellers and the necessity for quarantining will put the July 1st-4th Open "in trouble."
The Government last week added the United States, Canada, Belgium, France and Italy to its list of countries where arrivals will be subject to mandatory hotel quarantine.
Lowry says that has already put him in a spot with regard to his caddie Bo Martin, who returns home this week and won't be available to Lowry until the Open Championship in the middle of July at the earliest.
Lowry himself lives in Florida and plans to remain on the PGA Tour until heading to Royal St George's.
“Right now, if you look at what the Irish government are doing, I think the Irish Open is going to be in trouble because they're out there putting France, Germany, and the U.S. on a quarantine for two weeks. So I don't know what's going to happen there.
One more day at Augusta National. Let’s make it one to remember ☘️??@TheMasters #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/RHyudAGZzf
— Shane Lowry (@ShaneLowryGolf) April 11, 2021
Masters performance
“You know, it's pretty s--- for me, - and I know things are tough for everybody at the minute - but my coach and my team are going home tomorrow, and I probably won't see them until the Open. It's not great, because I want them over here for the big tournaments, the PGA and the U.S. Open.
“We'll see what happens. I don't know. Maybe there will be exemptions or something. I have no idea. We're an Olympic sport now. Maybe we should get an exemption. I have no idea."
Lowry said he will play Hilton Head next week and will try to pick up a caddie over the next few days. "Ireland brought in a quarantine rule from the US for some strange reason last Thursday, and we just had to make a decision.
“Like (Bo's) waiting on his second dose of vaccine back home, and he needs to go home (Monday) night and get everything sorted. I don't expect anyone to spend two weeks in a hotel for me in quarantine.
"I'm not going to do it, so I don't expect anyone else to do it. There's a couple of guys who aren't playing next week and they're out there looking for a job. So I'll find a caddie out there somewhere.
“Who knows when I'll be able to go home, if I'll be able to go home to Ireland. I have no idea what my schedule is going to be leading up to the Open, but it's definitely going to be mostly over here. I don't know if I'll get back to play in Europe at all."
