Lowry fires stunning 63 and confesses: “It looks like I'm going to need a pick next week, so hopefully I get a nice phone call off Luke”

Shane Lowry blasted a seven under 63 to shoot up the leaderboard in the Tour Championship and revealed he was unaware until Monday that he could need a Ryder Cup wildcard.

The Offaly man made 193 feet of putts - including a monster 98 footer at the 14th - and came home in six under 29 at East Lake to share the early clubhouse lead with Chris Gotterup on seven under.

He later revealed he only realised on Monday that he cannot earn Ryder Cup qualifying points this week and can be leapfrogged in the race for the sixth and final automatic qualifying place in Luke Donald’s team by Dane Rasmus Hojgaard.

It would be a phenomenal surprise if he failed to make the team, and while he was reluctant to tempt fate, he reckons Europe will be ready for any abuse directed at them or their families at partisan Bethpage Black next month.

“Obviously, the chat is what the team is going to be like, who's going to get picked, who's not,” Lowry said of the mood among the Europeans in Atlanta. “This is with the guys in the locker room; obviously, it has nothing to do with Luke or anyone.

“But yeah, I'd be fairly focused on it [the Ryder Cup], that I want my game to build into it well.

“Obviously, I'm here to do well in the FedExCup this week, but I'd like to build my confidence over the next few weeks, over this week, Ireland, Wentworth, then hopefully into Bethpage and help the team as much as I can.”

Only this week’s Betfred British Masters at The Belfry counts in the European Ryder Cup qualifying race.

“I only found out about that Monday,” Lowry said. “I thought I was guaranteed getting points this week. I thought I was going to be pretty much guaranteed on the team.

“I was somewhat disappointed to hear that. But the rules were made at the start for qualifying, and that was it.

“I think I finished four points behind Tyrrell [Hatton], which is pretty much a shot, which would have been nice.

“But obviously I don't know what Rasmus is going to do this weekend, but it looks like he's probably going to pass me up, and I'm going to need a pick next week, so hopefully I get a nice phone call off Luke.”

As for dealing with fans at Bethpage, he believes preparation will be key: “So I think when you're prepared for something, it's a lot easier to deal with. I think we'll be prepared for it.

“So when you're prepared for what we're going to get, when you're prepared for the worst, I think you'd be able to deal with anything, whereas if you're at a regular event and someone heckles you, it kind of comes out of nowhere and that kind of is a little bit whatever.

“But I think when you're prepared for it, you'll be okay.”

Lowry’s wife, Wendy, was a target for abuse at Whistling Straits on his Ryder Cup debut four years ago, and he admits that it can be difficult.

“I think if it gets personal towards your family, that's the only thing, your wife or whatever that's there,” he said.

“I think that's the only thing that could really hurt you. Nothing towards me will hurt me. I've heard it all.”

After watching Bob MacIntyre silence heckling US fans last week, he’s hopeful that Europe will be treated well.

“We have a lot of fans in America, as well, as players because we play here full time and we live here, but obviously they're not going to be our fans this week,” he said.

“But I still think there are a lot of guys in our team who are very popular with American people. That can help us along the way as well.”

Reminded that there would be 20,000 Europeans in New York, he remembered that he had yet to make the team.

“Yeah, let's not talk about it too much,” he said with a smile.