Ireland's Shane Lowry has said the chatter about him being undeserving of his Ryder Cup spot this year "didn’t sit very well" with him.
The Clara native finished eighth on the World Points List and 11th on the European Points List this year, and was close to missing out on the event in Rome later this month.
However, Europe's captain had six wildcard picks, and Lowry was one of six players selected for the tournament.
Lowry will now play in his second Ryder Cup tournament, but the move to select Lowry has been met with confusion and chatter around his inclusion.
Poland's Adrian Meronk won three events, including May's Italian Open at the Ryder Cup course, and was seen as one of the favorites to go to the event.
Despite the flak he has received, the 2019 Open champion believes he fully deserves his chance in Rome.
"I know I deserve to be there," Lowry told BBC Sport.
"The people who knew what they were talking about know I deserve my place, so anyone else doesn't really matter."
🎙 "I just listen to people who actually matter"
Shane Lowry on the criticism he's faced after his Ryder Cup captain's pick last week 👇pic.twitter.com/10GAFSbiEh— Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) September 12, 2023
Lowry admits that his results have not been up to scratch this year, but based on being a top-12 golfer in the world, his place is more than deserved.
“My results have not been amazing this year,” he said ahead of his title defense at the BMW PGA Championship. “But I feel if you purely go down to statistics and go down to the 12 best players in Europe, I’m one of them. And I feel like I deserve my place on the team.”
The Offaly native has also said that any talk of him being lucky to be there does not 'sit well with him.'
"I need to be careful here. It didn’t sit very well with me, to be honest," he added
“I’m a good player for a start. I’m not going to be afraid of anyone that comes to stand on the first tee in two weeks’ time. I think I’ll be good for the rookies; I think I’ll be good for team morale and in the team room.
“I’ll be passionate, I’ll show my emotions, I’ll enjoy myself. You never know when it’s going to be your last, so you want to make the most of it. That’s kind of how I look at it.
“My favorite week of the year is the week before the Masters because I’m preparing for something huge. It’s quite stressful, and I get quite anxious about it, but I am feeling like that’s what next week is going to be like, and I’m looking forward to preparing and getting ready for going out there and hopefully winning.”
The Ryder Cup in Rome starts on Friday, September 29, at 6:35am – Sunday, October 1, 2023.
