Shane Lowry: Nobody remembers who finished third at the Masters

When it comes to long-term planning for the first Major of this – and every – season, the Ricky Bobby mantra of 'If you're not first, you’re last’ might unusually make some small parcel of sense.

Masters winners are invited back to Augusta to compete every year for as long as they please. Year in, year out, past champions attempt to roll back the decades amongst the azaleas with senior stars like Fred Couples (1992 winner) and Bernhard Langer (1985 and 1993) regularly putting it up to the old course – and new stars – with fantastic, age-defying efforts.

Shane Lowry had his best finish at Augusta two years ago, an effort which saw him sign-off in a tie for third place with Cam Smith behind winner Scottie Scheffler and his pal and countryman Rory McIlroy.

But third place doesn’t give you that lifelong golden ticket to the chocolate factory. A point which Lowry acknowledged this week in conversation with Greg Allen of RTÉ Sport.

"Nobody remembers who finished third at the Masters," the Offalyman said, flatly. "It was a step [2022], but in 20 years’ time, 'finished third' at the Masters doesn’t get you back through those gates. First does. That’s the main goal."

Lowry followed up that 2022 run with a solid tied-16th finish last year as Jon Rahm took the Green Jacket before hightailing it off to the LIV Tour. The Spaniard is back to defend his title this year and Lowry knows if he is to climb the mountain, he has to overcome the game’s best to do it.

"It’s hard to look past the top players in the world," Lowry said. "Am I in the next category after that? Possibly. But I’m certainly not here to make up the numbers. I’m here to compete, that’s what I do every week. It’s what I live for, I live for weeks like this, it’s the reason why