Shane Lowry's verdict on playing with Phil Mickelson at Masters shows new opinion of LIV Golf star

Shane Lowry said playing the final “fun” round with Phil Mickelson was the highlight of his disappointing Masters – having previously stated he felt intimidated by the six-time major champion.

The Ryder Cup star failed to break par in any rounds after carding a closing 74 to finish on eight-over par. But the Irishman did have the compensation of spending the final day get a close up view of three-time champion Mickelson who made his 101st cut in Majors.

Lowry has played alongside Mickelson in the past, and admitted in 2020 that being paired with the LIV Golf star was the first and only time he’s been intimidated on the golf course. However now he seems to have changed his mind, as he heaped praise on the two-time Masters champion.

Speaking afterwards, the 2019 Open champion said: “Phil is good. I love playing golf with Phil. He hit some shots that I’m kind of right there enjoying as a spectator more than anything else.

“When I saw the draw last night, I was excited to go out and play a Masters Sunday with him. He lived up to his name. He hit some unbelievable shots. He hit a shot from over in the trees on the 8th hole I think only he would go for, let alone pull off, but it was good fun.” The world No.36 was less happy about his own game at Augusta National after carding a total of 19 bogeys.

“Not very good,” said Lowry. “I’m a little disappointed obviously. I played all right golf throughout the week, just made a lot of bogeys, a lot of bogeys. No big mistakes, nothing disastrous, just a lot of bogeys. I think for me this week is probably the most special week of the year. Disappointed not to give it a decent run this year.

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Shane Lowry (R) has openly admitted in the past he was intimidated by playing with Phil Mickelson (L)

“Yeah, hopefully I have a few more years left of giving it a run out here. It’s over now. I’m going to go back to the drawing board and see what I can do next week heading into Hilton Head.”

Speaking in 2020, Lowry opened up on the time he played alongside Mickelson at the Wells Fargo Championship, saying: “One of the only times I’ve ever been intimidated on the course was I played with Phil Mickelson about three of four years in Quail Hollow up in Charlotte and I played with him on the Satuday and I remember I finished my round and I said to my coach Neil afterwards that I felt different on the golf course, I felt like the crowd was huge.

“Phil was doing his thing, he shot seven under and I shot level par which was average but it was just weird and somewhat intimidated. He’s such a big star and someone who I looked up to for years.”