Friday 3 April 2020 12:33, UK
Champion Golfer of the Year Shane Lowry would welcome the opportunity to defend The Open later in the season, should the event need to be rescheduled.
Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland
Although the R&A remain hopeful The Open will be able to take place from July 16-19 as scheduled, Golfweek reported on Thursday a reserve date of September 17-20 was a possibility if the original week at Royal St George's was not possible.
The back-up date would mean a major being held the week before the Ryder Cup is due to take place at Whistling Straits, although Lowry - who is hoping to be part of Padraig Harrington's European team in Wisconsin - would relish the chance to play both events in successive weeks.
"I'd love to defend the tournament when it's supposed to be on in July, but if it was on at all this year then I think it would be a result," Lowry told Sky Sports News. "I've not played any Ryder Cups and that's my No 1 goal this year, so if I am going after The Open then I'd be happy to be.
"The only thing is that the 24 players playing in the Ryder Cup will be playing in The Open as well, so they'll all have to make that trip to Whistling Straits on Sunday evening or Monday and get on with the week. It'll be a complaint that I would be happy to have in September!
"Generally, down there [Kent] they get a very good summer, so the course is burnt when The Open goes to Royal St George's. It could be a bit different in September, but I'd imagine it'll still be warm.
"That's the beauty of the Open Championship, everyone knows when they go there that they'll have some different or weird weather thrown at them."
The European Tour and PGA Tour have both had numerous events either postponed or cancelled due to the ongoing situation and the first two majors of the year were postponed, with late-May currently the earliest date where golf will return.
"The only issue I see with golf [returning] is we all live in different countries," Lowry added. "When you look at the Premier League, they all live in England, so when England is ready to open up again then you can start back the Premier League.
"That's where golf I think differs. It will be interesting to see what restrictions are in place when and if we do get playing again. I would just be fearful that players might not get visas for certain countries if they're from a certain country, so we'll just have to wait and see.
"Golf and sport are secondary when it comes to all of this and I think people's health is more important. In any other time of crisis, sports has been the one that gets people out of it and their mind away from the tough stuff. We don't have that right now, so it is quite difficult."
