'Tiger's a nice fella' but don't talk about the 12th!

Pictured: Offaly golfer Shane Lowry.

Fresh off a top 25 finish in the Masters at Augusta, Shane Lowry caught up with Ruby Walsh and Paddy Power on our 'From The Horse's Mouth Podcast' to spill the beans on what it was like playing with Tiger Woods and lots more.

"He’s a normal enough fella but he’s also the greatest golfer of all time,” the Offaly golfer said of Tiger Woods.

“To have the first couple of rounds with him was cool, but to play with him on the final day with him wearing the Sunday red was awesome. Those memories are something I’ll have forever."

When asked about Tiger's septuple bogey 10 on the par-3, 12th hole during Sunday's round, Shane couldn't believe what he was seeing.

"I’m out there trying to beat him, trying to get a better score than him, and he definitely gave me a helping hand!

"I couldn’t believe what was happening. People think it’s 150 yards and that should be easy, but that’s the most brutal hole in golf. The wind swirls down there, the green is soft and spinny. It’s a huge sigh of relief to just get on the green, and then to stand and watch him do that was unbelievable.

"Anytime he hit a bad drive he’d say to his caddy, 'Ah there was like one of yours Joey'. We were stood on the 13th tee and my caddy Bo Martin said to me, I wonder what he’d say if I said to him, 'I bet you wished Joey had hit that one'.

"But I couldn’t say that to him. I bottled it!"

He was delighted for the eventual Masters winner Dustin Johnson.

"When the World Number One brings his A-game he’s impossible to beat. Dustin grew up just an hour from Augusta which is similar to how I felt winning at Portrush. It was cool to see him on the 18th green with his brother in tears. That’s amazing and I’m delighted for him. DJ is a great bloke.

"He has put years into the game and deserves it. DJ will have had a good night on Sunday but nowhere near the night I had after The Open. The few days we had as a group of friends was something you’d love to do again and again. It was unreal. It drives me to do something special again. The experience of that with friends and family was unbelievable."

The Clara native said he still dreams of being the first Irishman to win the Masters, and hopefully he can win the green jacket in years to come.

"The leaders were so far ahead at Augusta, winning the tournament was beyond me by Saturday. I just focussed on making the cut and having the best week I could, while learning how the course plays over the weekend in order to prepare to do it again in April.

"This was an excellent learning experience because hopefully I have a good few Masters left in me and maybe one where I can be challenging. Making that cut last week may make the difference in years to come."

"I’d love to win another Major, I’d love to win a Masters, I’d love to be the first Irishman to wear a green jacket.  Something like that would be unbelievable."

Looking ahead to the Ryder Cup, Shane Lowry wants to go to America and play and win for Europe.

"In the next year I just want to play and win the next Ryder cup, that’s my main goal in the next twelve months. I want to be on Padraig’s team and go to America and win.

"If I don’t make the team I’m going to have to play very well near the time to get a pick. That’s the nature of it. Padraig knows what I can bring to the team – I’d be good craic in the team room, my whole game is good enough to compete, I drive the ball well and my short game is strong which is good in a foursomes partner.

"There’s another nine months of golf before that so I just need to play well end of story. It’s on me to play well and get picked.It’s not on Padraig"

You can get more from Shane on the latest From The Horse's Mouth Podcast available here: podfollow.com/horsesmouth