Lowry admits that it ‘won’t be fun’ playing US Open with good pals

It's all business.

Shane Lowry has been paired alongside Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose for the first two rounds of the US Open at Oakmont, starting on Thursday.

The Offaly man has been in superb form this season, and is currently ranked 12th in the world.

Lowry and McIlroy have one of the most celebrated relationships in Irish sport, and the two men got to play with each other earlier in this season at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill.

Fellow European Ryder Cup teammate, and all-round gentleman, Justin Rose, is also a good friend of the two Irishmen.

However, while Lowry said that it will be nice to play with his mates, it won't be particularly fun, given what is at stake for three players who will have aspirations to lift the trophy.

He admitted: “We’re practising tomorrow morning again, so we'll be sick of each other by Friday, but hopefully we both play well and give ourselves a run at the weekend.”

“I played with Rory in the first two rounds of Bay Hill this year and I was well up there,” he said. “So, yeah, I love playing with Rory, and I think we've got a great group there with Justin Rose as well.

“Everybody gets on very well, but when you're out there, there's not too much chit-chat. There's not much fun out there. But it will be nice.”

They tee off at 12.40pm, Irish time, on Thursday, and 6.25pm on Friday.