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Encouragement: McGinley and Lowry
Paul McGinley has offered words of encouragement to Shane Lowry after the Irish Open champion's first round in the professional ranks ended with a less-than stellar 78.
Two weeks ago, the 22-year-old became just the third player in European Tour history to win an event as an amateur.
However, Lowry came back down to earth with a bump in the first round of the European Open at the London Club and now needs something special on Friday just to make the cut.
Even so, McGinley, who stands five strokes adrift of leader Anders Hansen heading into round two in Kent, has no worries about his fellow Irishman's future.
"He will have better days," the Ryder Cup hero said of his playing partner. "He is a class player - I don't see any weaknesses.
"He has propelled himself into a different stratosphere and it was always going to be difficult. He was nervous, but it would have been difficult for anybody and he battled well.
"He's a good kid, he's a powerful hitter, has a good short game and things will calm down now."
Lowry said that McGinley had reminded him that he had produced something special in the second round at County Louth two weeks ago.
His 62 was the joint lowest round ever by an amateur on the European Tour - and one that catapulted him into the spotlight.
"Paul was great to play with and he said 'Another 62 tomorrow and you'll be okay!'," Lowry said.
"I didn't feel myself to be honest. I felt a bit flat and I'm glad to have that first round over.
"It's the first of many hopefully and there will be good days and bad days.
"I'm not under pressure to make my card (his win earned him an exemption until the end of 2011), but I still have the pressure to try to do as well as I can.
"I'm not trying to make excuses, but before I practised on Tuesday I'd had 12 holes since the Irish Open."
