Lowry to represent Europe in Ryder Cup for third time

As expected, Shane Lowry has been chosen as one of the 'captain's picks' for the Ryder Cup later this month.

Lowry was confirmed as the first of the wildcard selections picked by European captain Luke Donald this afternoon (Monday). Therefore the Offaly man will compete for Europe against the United States of America in his third successive Ryder Cup.

Lowry narrowly missed out on automatic selection place for the European team recently, having been pipped on the final day by Danish golfer Rasmus Hojgaard.

Furthermore, given Lowry's previous displays in the competition, his inclusion comes as no surprise.

The Clara native was also selected as a captain's pick for the 2021 and 2023 events. The 38-year-old has contributed 2½ points from his previous appearances.

Lowry said he was "very grateful" to be given the nod once again.

"It's unbelievable. It's been a stressful few weeks and stressful year trying to make the team," he said.

"I'm very grateful that Luke and his team have put their faith in me again this time and hopefully I can repay them by producing the goods."

Speaking about his decision, Donald made it clear he had no hesitation in picking Lowry.

"He was very close to making it automatically. You see what Shane brings with his infectious energy. He understands team above everything else," said Donald.

"It is great to have his energy and vibes in the team room. He is one hell of a player as well," added the Englishman.

Rory McIlroy, Robert MacIntyre, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Rasmus Hojgaard and Tyrrell Hatton are the six automatic picks on the European team.

Jon Rahm, Sepp Straka, Viktor Hovland, Ludvig Aberg and Matt Fitzpatrick are the other 'captain's picks' chosen by Donald.

The prestigious bi-annual Europe versus USA golf tournament will take place in Bethpage Black, New York from September 23-28.