Shane Lowry's hot take on Bryson DeChambeau missing the US Olympics team - “The American team is a hard team to make”
Shane Lowry recently said that it was not easy to make it to the US Olympic team, citing the example of Bryson DeChambeau. His statement came in response to a question about whether the current selection criteria for the Olympics were good.
Lowry and 59 other professionals are set to compete for the gold medal this week at the Paris Olympics 2024. The event is set to take place at Le Golf National from Thursday, August 1, to Sunday, August 4.
During Team Ireland's pre-event press conference on Tuesday, July 30, Lowry was asked about the current selection criteria for the Olympics. For the uninitiated, many players have voiced disagreement regarding the existing system.
"No. 9 in the world is not here, either, for the Americans," Lowry said, as per ASAP Text. "The American Team is a hard team to make."
Shane Lowry was referring to Bryson DeChambeau, who had a phenomenal season that included a U.S. Open win and a runner-up finish at the majors. However, he was still unable to make it to the Olympics, as he wasn't among the top four U.S. players in the Official Golf Ranking (OGR).
Lowry's teammate Rory McIlroy had a rationale for the current rules.
"I think that's the nature of qualification for the Olympics," he explained. "I mean, you could have the fifth-best sprinter in the world but if he's from a certain country, he's not able to make it.
"So I think it's just the way that the qualification works in the Olympic Games, and that's not just in golf. That's in other disciplines, as well," he added.
Shane Lowry echoed McIlroy's explanation, citing the example of Jamaican sprinters, where there is cutthroat competition for Olympic spots, resulting in many of the best athletes missing out on the event.
"I know we are not used to that in golf; that the biggest events have the best fields. But you know, there is a few players maybe that would make it better, but it's still the Olympics and we've all qualified to play for our country and we're all here to win a medal," Lowry added.
When will Shane Lowry tee off at the 2024 Olympics, Round 1?
Shane Lowry is grouped with Byeong Hun An (KOR) and Nick Taylor (CAN) for the first two rounds of the 2024 Olympics. The trio will tee off on Thursday at 11:44 am local time from the first hole.
The opening round of the Paris Olympics 2024 will begin at 9:00 am local time, with Victor Perez (FRA), Matti Schmid (GER), and C.T. Pan (TPE) being the first group to tee off. Lowry's fellow countryman Rory McIlroy is grouped with Scottie Scheffler (USA) and Ludvig Åberg (SWE) and will tee off at 10:11 am local time.