Q. Shane, if you wouldn't mind, could you give us some brief reflections on the week?
SHANE LOWRY: I think I did okay. I did better than my scores. I was happier with my game than my score suggests. I made a bit of a disaster yesterday and a bit of a bad run in the first round, but other than that, for I'd say three-quarters of the golf tournament I played as good as I can. Played some good golf the last two days, especially get off to a bad start today and shoot 1-under my last 15 holes. That's pretty good out there.
It's just so difficult out there. Every time I hit it in the rough -- I get frustrated watching the golf in the afternoon when I go home because every time I see people in the rough they're hitting on the greens and every time I hit in the rough I can't seem to get anywhere near the green. My short game was good, my putting was good, found a driver that I liked, drove the ball well. Yeah, overall I was happier than my score suggests.
Q. How are the players shooting the scores that they are without hitting fairways?
SHANE LOWRY: I think yesterday afternoon I watched a lot of it. I think the long, long hitters I think are hitting it past where the rough has been juiced up. I think if you're out late in the afternoon the rough is going to be trampled down a little bit long, they're hitting shorter clubs obviously because they're hitting it longer. Obviously Matthew Wolff, I think he's hit 12 fairways over the first few days and he's 5-under, and he only hit two yesterday and shoot 5-under. But there's a lot of luck involved out there.
You can't get good lies in the rough. It'll be interesting to see if he keeps getting that luck today, and if that stays with him, but I'd still prefer to be the guy who's hitting fairways and greens.
Q. How has the game changed in terms of distance and athleticism?
SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, look, there's a lot of distance debate that's gone on. But I still think level par is going to win this tournament. It's not like we've all come out here and shot 10-under will win it and everyone is shooting under par. As long as the golf course is set up correctly, I don't think distance plays that much of a factor in the game. Obviously, look, Bryson has done what he has, but he did it for a month, and then the last few weeks he's not been unbelievable, he's not been contending at the top of events. Obviously Dustin hits it far but Dustin controls the ball very well, and people have to realize even though they're probably some of the longest hitters in the world, they're still the best golfers. You still have to be able to control your ball, you still have to be able to chip and putt, and that sets up well. If it was just about hitting the ball long, the long drivers would be out here playing in these major championships and they're not.
I don't like talking about the distance debate because I think golf is perfect the way it is, and I think it's a great game, and I think the best golfers are the best golfers in the world because they're the best golfers all around.
Q. Are you looking forward to the Irish Open?
SHANE LOWRY: Yeah, a week like this really takes it out of you, so important to rest up over the next few days. I might get a few holes in at some stage, practice, but I'm not going to do too much. I'm going to go out there and give it my best when it comes to it on Thursday, but when it comes to it I'll be looking forward to it and I want to do well in it, so yeah.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports