Unlike many of his colleagues on the PGA Tour, Shane Lowry's upbringing didn't consist of silver spoons and golf clubs in hand.
Growing up in a GAA household with an All-Ireland winning father and two uncles, Lowry's childhood was more naturally playing football on muddy pitches than growing up chipping balls onto manicured greens.
While Tiger Woods, Lowry's playing partner at the Masters last month, spent his childhood hitting golf balls with his father Earl Woods, Lowry's initial foray into sport was all about football and Offaly GAA.
Joining Bernard Brogan for episode three of The Bernard Brogan Podcast on OTB Sports, Lowry detailed his upbringing in "a completely GAA" family.
"We lived – and, still to this day live – and breathe GAA down there. Even though Offaly, we, are not going through the best patch we still love it and we still go to every game.
"Just growing up that was all we wanted to do," Lowry said of his extended family.
Before hen ever picked up a golf club, Lowry explained how he wanted to follow in the footsteps of his father, Brendan, and uncles, Mick and Sean, who beat Kerry in the 1982 All-Ireland final.
"All I wanted to do when I was younger was play football, and play football for Offaly," the 33-year-old told Brogan.
"Growing up in Clara, we are a football club mainly not much hurling, I just loved it but I played every sport. I played soccer, played a bit of everything, anything that was going on. I just loved sport."
However, taking up golf as a teenager, the Clara native soon realised he had a natural talent: "I think I'm just a competitive person and I quickly realised I was actually half-decent at it."
"And when you realise you are half decent at something you kind of want to get better don't you and just keep going."
"I didn't know it was going to lead me to where I am today but it was just one of those [things] where I was trying to be as good as I could be and see where it left me, and I've ended up being very fortunate."
While golf has become a career, Lowry added that he hadn't lost any of his love for other sports.
"Even to this day, that's still the way I am. I had a great childhood going to games and going to training and playing matches and playing for Clara. I loved every minute of it."
SuperValu – proud sponsors of the GAA Football All-Ireland Senior Championships – see YouTube.com/SuperValuIreland for more details
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