Q. Wonderful round of 66. In the circumstances particularly, how pleased with two days' work?
SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, it's good, isn't it. Coming here with a little bit of pressure on me needing to perform and play well and I've done that the first two days. I'm pretty happy to be honest. Yesterday come off the golf course feeling like I probably should have shot better than 2-under. I know 66 is pretty good around here but I probably could have shot a couple lower, but 6-under into the weekend, under the circumstances, yeah, pretty happy with that.
Q. How important is it seeing these shots in your mind --
SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, this looks better than it is because it landed on a downslope and if I pitched it too far it was landing on the flat. Managed to roll down there four or five feet and rolled it in for a birdie. 2-under through four is really a nice start around Wentworth and you feel like you're off and running.
Q. Do you know what you needed to do to get past Lee at the beginning of the week?
SHANE LOWRY: No. I'm trying to focus on my own game. I'm pretty happy with what I've shown. Obviously I want to make the team automatically. I think I've played some really good golf over the last few months to put my hat in for a pick on Sunday evening if I do need one. I'm here to win the golf tournament.
Obviously I'm here to make The Ryder Cup Team as well but I really feel like this course, it doesn't owe me anything because I've had some great results around here but I'd love to win this tournament because it's just so big. It's our biggest event in Europe. I've been close a few times and it would be great to be standing on that 18th green on Sunday with that trophy.
Q. How pleased particularly in the circumstances to post 8-under par for these two rounds?
SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, I'm pretty happy. Any time you shoot 66 or eight under for two rounds, you're pretty happy to be on the right end of the leaderboard going into the weekend. Nice to go back to the hotel and chill out ask see what the boys do this afternoon. I'm happy with my days work this afternoon. All in all it's been a good two days and hopefully I can have a good weekend as well.
Q. Did you have a goal as well, not necessarily a score, but stay committed or be patient?
SHANE LOWRY: Not really. I've been playing pretty well over the last while and I'm comfortable over the golf course. I'm enjoying my golf. Just try to go out there and enjoy as much as I can and hit some good shots and try to take the bad shots on the chin a little bit better. Probably because I feel like I'm playing well, I'm maybe I'm a bit hard on myself out there.
But it's not PlayStation golf. You're going to hit bad shots and you're going to make mistakes but you need to limit them to as little as possible, and when you do hit good shots, you need to take advantage of them.
Q. Your automatic place in The Ryder Cup could depend on you getting past Lee Westwood. Did you start the week knowing what you needed to do to get past Lee?
SHANE LOWRY: I know there's obviously a few permutations week. There's a lot that can go on this week but I'm here to perform as best as I can this week.
Hopefully I don't need a pick Sunday evening. I've played some good golf over the last few months. I've put my hand up as much as I could have over the last while, and it's up to Paddy what he wants to do on Sunday evening. But hopefully I don't need that pick and first and foremost I can go out and do the business this weekend and win the tournament.
Q. A 66 must be very pleasing in all the circumstances that are bubbling around?
SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, it's nice. It's nice to go out there and perform when there's a little bit of pressure on. Actually felt very edgy and anxious yesterday afternoon before I went out and I managed to play very nicely yesterday. I didn't shoot the best score I could have but went out there today and I shot like a really nice score. 66 around Wentworth any day no matter what the conditions are is pretty good.
Q. It is really tough. This is a volatile tournament in terms of Ryder Cup qualification and it comes so late.
SHANE LOWRY: There's a lot of points available. There's almost too many points available, especially for someone like me who is in the team. Yeah, look, it is what it is. We've known it for the last few years now or a couple years. We've known that this is going to be the last counting event and there's obviously going to be a lot of points available.
Yeah, look, I'm just out there to do a job. I'm out there to try to win the tournament and play as best I can and come Sunday evening hope I'm on the team automatically. If I'm not, I hope I get a pick. That's the way I am.
I feel quite good about it. I feel pretty laid back about it. I'm not anxious about the whole thing. I feel like I've played really well over the last while and consistently well, and I feel like I've put my hand up. It's up to Paddy what he wants to do Sunday evening.
Q. And you've done it in big events.
SHANE LOWRY: I feel like my best performances this year have been in big events. I've obviously never played The Ryder Cup and I'm a rookie, whatever rookie means. The Americans are going to have a lot of rookies on the team, but they are not rookies. They are some of the best players in the world.
Yeah, hopefully I make the team and I'm very excited to hopefully go to Whistling Straits and win The Ryder Cup.
Q. It's clear you are compartmentalizing it really nicely, if you're shooting 66 in the way that you did today, must give you great heart for the weekend ahead?
SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, it goes to show how comfortable I am on the golf course at the minute. I'm going out there in tricky circumstances on a tricky golf course and performing at a very high level. I'm doing a good job and hopefully I can do a good job over the weekend.
I'd love one thing, I've been very close in this tournament over the last ten years, and I'd love to give myself a chance on Sunday again and I'd love to win this tournament. It's a huge event and a huge part of The European Tour. I'd love to be standing on the 18th green Sunday afternoon and hopefully I can go out tomorrow and shoot a good score and give myself a chance.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports