Shane Lowry opted not to engage with the press following his narrow miss at the Truist Championship on Sunday. The Irish golfer's pursuit of his maiden individual PGA Tour victory is ongoing, and he's drawing inspiration from Rory McIlroy in his bid to break this lengthy drought. Lowry was in a tight race with Sepp Straka, with just three holes left at the Philadelphia Cricket Club. However, two late bogeys proved costly as his Ryder Cup teammate secured the win.

Lowry, who is nearing the $30 million earnings milestone, concluded the tournament with a level-par final round, finishing 14-under overall. This performance saw him share second place with Justin Thomas at the Wissahickon Course. After his final round, the County Offaly native chose not to field questions, staying consistent with his stance after a particularly vexing Sunday at The Masters a month earlier. During that tournament, Lowry had a shot at the title but ended up carding a nine-over-par final round, resulting in a tie for 42nd place.

At Augusta National, Lowry abruptly terminated his post-round press conference, arguing that players should be allowed more time to gather their thoughts before facing the media. While some of his peers have voiced support for Lowry, the PGA Tour's rules remain unaltered - post-round interviews are optional and typically take place after exiting the scorer's room.

Speaking to the Irish Star last week, Lowry advocated for a brief interval before players face the media. "I think a lot of players, a lot of even certain media members have said it to me that, you know, I said the right thing. I do think there's a period where we should get for when we finish," Lowry said.

"Obviously, 80 to 90 per cent of the time we're fine, but like that 10 per cent that you kind of need a little bit of time to cool off or get your thoughts, right? I do think the media will get a better view of what's going on. If the players had a little bit more time to think about it."

Lowry boasts two significant triumphs in the United States with victories at the WGC Bridgestone Invitational in 2015 and the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2021 alongside Rory McIlroy, yet a standalone PGA Tour win still evades him on American soil.

It wasn't the first instance when Straka edged out Lowry, with the 2022 Honda Classic being a notable example where he missed the title by just one stroke.

However, any rivalry on tour doesn't dent their robust partnership, as evidenced during the 2023 Ryder Cup where they excelled in the foursomes, significantly contributing to Europe's victorious campaign to recapture the trophy.

After Straka secured his second PGA Tour win of the year following his January success at The American Express, the two shared a poignant embrace on the 18th green on Sunday, solidifying the strength of their bond beyond competition.

Following his triumph, Straka took the opportunity to heap praise on Lowry during his winner's press conference. "It was great [being paired together]. Shane's an awesome guy. He's one of my favorites, too. So it was fun to hear support for him out there," he said.

"He's one of my favorite people to play with. He's a fiery competitor but a really good friend as well. It was really fun battling with him. Just grateful for him."

Lowry, despite feeling disheartened, must quickly regroup as the PGA Championship is fast approaching, set to commence at Quail Hollow in North Carolina on Thursday.

The 2019 Open champion has reasons to be hopeful after securing his second runner-up finish of the year on Sunday, but the mistakes made in the final rounds in Philly are bound to leave a bitter taste.

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