Shane Lowry issues warning to future PGA Tour players

Shane Lowry has warned the 10 DP World Tour players who earned their PGA Tour cards last week they cannot approach 2025 half-heartedly. 

Lowry earned his PGA Tour playing rights in the 2015 season and has never looked back. 

The 2019 Open champion is now one of the best players in the world, currently sitting 28th in the Official World Golf Ranking. 

He moved to Florida in 2021 and, while he is still a big supporter of the European-based circuit, there is no denying that he counts the PGA Tour as his home. 

Last weekend at the DP World Tour finale, Rasmus Hojgaard, Thriston Lawrence, Paul Waring, Jesper Svensson, Niklas Norgaard, Matteo Manassero, Thorbjorn Olesen, Antoine Rozner, Rikuya Hoshino and Tom McKibbin earned their PGA Tour cards. 

"The PGA Tour is the Premier League of golf," Lowry told Golf Digest's John Huggan. 

"So you can't go there and be half-hearted. You have to give it everything you have. 

"All 10 have had great seasons here though. So they are good enough to go out there and compete. 

"The fields are deep over there but there is no need to change anything."

Asked what the hardest part of adapting to a new tour is, Lowry said it was not knowing all of the courses.

"Over here they are familiar with the events and often don't need to play a practice round," he said. 

"Over there they won't be in many pro-ams so they will need to travel Monday and play Tuesday to get to know the course. 

"That's time-consuming and difficult."

Former Masters champion Adam Scott also echoed Lowry's sentiments, telling the publication that whilst they are the leading players in Europe they will be down the pecking order in America. 

"That's good for the confidence at home, but they won't have that next year," he said.  

"On the PGA Tour they will be a lot lower on the pecking order, the depth is so much greater. 

"The golf is more aggressive there. So you have to go low every week."

He added: "You have to hit home runs rather than being consistent. That doesn't get you too far these days. 

"But they need to take advantage of everything, while still balancing playing two tours. 

"Again that's no easy task, quite apart from being a PGA Tour rookie. 

"It's just hard, outside of high finishes in, say, three majors, to think you are doing well on two tours."

The 2023-2024 season PGA Tour concludes this week at the RSM Classic. 

A number of players will be feeling the nerves as they hope to retain their playing rights for the new season. 

Wesley Bryan is currently on the bubble at 125th in the rankings. 

Joel Dahmen, Sami Valimaki and England's David Skinns are in danger of losing their cards. 

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