Shane Lowry feels the Irish Open is 'in trouble' due to Covid-19 restrictions

Shane Lowry feels the Irish Open is 'in trouble' due to Covid-19 restrictions

European Tour regular Shane Lowry is worried about the upcoming Irish Open due to strict guidelines brought in by the Irish government. He believes that the new mandatory quarantine rules could jeopardize the July tournament at Mount Juliet.

The rules require visitors from listed countries to spend 14 days in a designated hotel. The Irish government recently added 16 countries, including the United States, to the Republic of Ireland's mandatory hotel quarantine list.

The Irish Open is lined up at Mount Juliet on July 1-4, two weeks after the US Open, and acting as the first part of the traditional three-week links swing, preceding the Scottish Open and the Open Championship.

"So I have no idea what my schedule is going to be leading up to The Open, but it's definitely going to be mostly over here. I don't know if I'll get back to play in Europe at all.

"If you look at what the Irish government is out there doing, I think the Irish Open is going to be in trouble because they are out there putting France, Germany, and the US on quarantine for two weeks. So I don't know what's going to happen there."

Lowry also worried about playing without his usual caddie and coach on the PGA Tour.

"I know things are tough for everybody at the minute, but my coach and my team are going home, and I probably won't see them until The Open," said Lowry.

"I'm playing at Hilton Head next week, but I have no idea what I'm going to do after that," said Lowry.

"My caddie has to go home, and he can't work next week because of this new quarantine they've brought in in Ireland from the States. Who knows when I'll be able to go home to Ireland, and if I'll be able to go home to Ireland?