Shane Lowry targets 2018 Ryder Cup after missing out on Hazeltine
Thursday 1 September 2016 15:05, UK
Shane Lowry admits he didn’t do enough to deserve one of Darren Clarke’s wildcard picks for Europe’s Ryder Cup team.
The Irishman bolstered his chance of automatic qualification by finishing runner-up at June's US Open, only to slip out of contention by missing the cut in four of his next five starts.
Last year's WGC-Bridgestone Invitational champion saw his hopes of earning a place through the World Points List ended with a tied-42nd finish at the Wyndham Championship, before Lowry failed to do enough to impress Clarke at last week's Made in Denmark.
Speaking in his Irish Times column, Lowry said: "At the end of the day, it's my own fault. Darren was right; I didn't perform when it mattered.
"Since Oakmont, the Ryder Cup has been on my mind a lot. It's been like a cloud hanging over me and I just never got momentum.
"I probably put too much emphasis on it and it is something I will have to learn from the next time."
Lowry saw his PGA Tour season end early by electing to play in Denmark instead of The Barclays, as he dropped outside of the top 100 in the FedExCup standings needed to be eligible for the Deutsche Bank Championship.
Europe will have six Ryder Cup rookies in their side at Hazeltine later this month, the most for an away tie since 1999, with Lowry now fully focused on a maiden appearance of his own in two years' time.
"I'm making a vow to myself that I will make the team for Paris in 2018 by myself, so that I don't need any pick," Lowry added.
"I'll put my hands up too and admit I made some mistakes scheduling-wise this season. I played a lot in America, a lot of new courses and new tournaments, and people underestimate how difficult that is.
"I probably didn't perform to the best of my ability this year but it will stand me in good stead going forward next year and the year after."
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