Shane's a big day player, he lives for it

THE GAA gene is burrowed deep in the Lowry family and Sean Lowry could see it working for his nephew at Bethpage Black.

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Sean is a former All-Ireland SFC winner with Offaly and the 73-year-old was among a group at Esker Hills being interviewed for RTÉ Radio on Sunday afternoon.

He didn't want to hang around for the night and came home to his wife Nuala, daughter Sarah and Bobby the dog to watch the Sunday Singles.

"When I was saying goodbye I was thinking, 'I'm going home to watch Shane win it'. I wish I said it out loud now," he laughed.

Like everyone else supporting the European team, he became more and more anxious as the night wore on as the initial blue on the board turned to red.

Ludwig Aberg earned Europe's only win of the 11 singles matches against the US, while Matt Fitzpatrick clung on to earn a half point against Bryson DeChambeau's epic comeback. As if scripted, it fell to Shane to earn the point to retain the Ryder Cup.

He birdied three of his last four holes to do it.

Lowry admitted later that it was the hardest two hours of his life to get it done.

"As Shane said, it looked like it was going to be done and dusted," said his uncle. "It was remarkable that it wasn't but so many games went to the 18th and went the Americans' way.

"Shane had to sink that par putt on 17 to stay alive, then Russell Henley came out of the bunker on 18 and left it in 10 feet. For Shane then to leave it half as close was unbelievable.

"That was a beautiful iron he hit into the green because he had to birdie the hole. Pressure, pressure, pressure. Henley is third in the world.