It was no surprise to see Shane Lowry bringing the trademark energy on the opening day of Ryder Cup action.
The Irishman was in foursomes action in the first session of Friday's golf, teaming up with Sepp Straka to take a 2&1 victory over Rickie Fowler and Collin Morikawa, as Europe swept the opening four games.
Lowry was in typically buoyant mood along the way, and things were to get even better for him and his teammates later in the afternoon.
Friday marked the first time ever that Europe won all four of the opening four games of a Ryder Cup, and they would kick on by claiming another 2.5 points from the afternoon's games in dramatic fashion.
Though Shane Lowry was not selected for the afternoon's fourballs pairings, he would take on the role of lead cheerleader for the European team from the sidelines, stealing the show with his energetic celebrations as Viktor Hovland snatched back half a point with an exquisite putt on the 18th.
Lowry is naturally a crowd favourite among the European fans - but popular golf podcast No Laying Up have since revealed that the Offaly man's antics might have gotten on the nerves of Justin Thomas late on Friday afternoon.
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No Laying Up suggest Shane Lowry's celebrations got on nerves of Team USA
Justin Thomas was one of the few American players to show some energy and emotion on Friday, as he celebrated his putt to half the 15th in the afternoon fourballs with surprising gusto.
JT v Shane in the singles please golf gods and fistpump gods🙏🏻🙏🏻pic.twitter.com/wGobtP2ojt
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) September 29, 2023
Thomas' call to shush the crowd was a rare sign of the energy we have come to expect from the American team at the Ryder Cup, though they would struggle to kick on from the boost it may have given them.
No Laying Up have since revealed that Thomas' buoyant celebrations may have been a direct response to some off-camera antics from Shane Lowry.
Lowry was allegedly on the green at the 15th as Justin Thomas and co. approached, riling up the crowd and whipping up an even more partisan atmosphere in what has been a cauldron of noise for the European team.
Host Chris Solomon - on the ground in Rome - went on to state that the energy whipped up by Lowry then led the crowd to boo Thomas after he delayed his putt to swat away a bug which was circling his ball on the green.
Solomon suggested that Thomas' celebrations may have been a pointed response to the energy from Shane Lowry ahead of his putt.
Speaking on those celebrations, the NLU crew bemoaned the lack of passion from Thomas' teammates, and pointed out that Shane Lowry, among others, had shown far more fervor on Friday.
And host Solly summed things up by stating that the rowdiness from Lowry and the European crowd is what makes the Ryder Cup such a special event:
Let me be clear on this: this is totally fair game. Totally fair game, slash massive positive. This is what makes the Ryder Cup fun.
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