Paul McGinley has rejected the idea that Shane Lowry cannot handle the pressure of closing out tournaments and has said he has a strong chance of a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup at Adare Manor next year, even if he does not make the team automatically.Lowry had high-profile disappointments earlier this year at the Dubai Invitational and the Cognizant Classic where he held the lead in the closing stages but failed to get over the line, while he shot an 80 at Augusta when playing in the penultimate group in the Masters.“What I said to him was you’d swap not winning those two tournaments over what you did at the Ryder Cup,” McGinley said at an announcement for EY sponsorship of the Junior Ryder Cup.“For people to say he can’t handle the pressure or his head is gone, look what he did in the cauldron of the Ryder Cup [in Bethpage].“Remember when all the momentum was going against them, things were going pear-shaped for Europe, so for him to play the way he did, it was just phenomenal.”With Lowry 2 down with four to play last year, he birdied 15 and 16, before also birdieing 18 to retain the cup with a half against Russell Henley.“I have absolutely no worries about Shane. All that will take for him to get back on the horse again is one good performance when he does get in the heat.“He is well capable of it, the Open should suit him. His game is still so good. If you look at his underlying stats, the trends underneath tell you if there is something wrong in a player, if there is a big dip in the categories but there is nothing there.”EY Ireland Managing Partner, Frank O’Keeffe announces EY’s commercial sponsorship of the Junior Ryder Cup. Paul McGinley is the EY brand ambassador. Photograph: Naoise Culhane Lowry is 22nd in adjusted scoring average on the PGA Tour this season and above tour average in strokes gained off the tee, approaches to the green and putting.The Offaly golfer decided to part ways with caddie Darren Reynolds last month and had former caddie Dermot Byrne on the bag for the Travelers Championship. He plays in the Scottish Open this week before heading to Birkdale for the Open.McGinley has said it can help to “freshen up” with a caddie change and said he is likely to get a pick for next year’s Ryder Cup as he is “massively influential”.“He is such a huge personality in that team, if you talk about culture, having been around the team a lot as strategic adviser last year, he is massively influential to the success of the team, not just in how he plays, but in his personality.“He is certainly one of those guys who has a very strong chance of a pick if he doesn’t make it, that’s how important he is and I think everyone knows that.”The Junior Ryder Cup will be held at Ballyneety golf course in Co Limerick in September 2027, with the final day at Adare Manor on the week of the Ryder Cup in front of big crowds.Teams from the United States and Europe compete head-to-head, but it differs in that the competition features a mixed team of young men and women, 18 years or younger, showcasing the very best emerging talent in global golf. Leona Maguire and Rory McIlroy are among the former participants.“It’s a great opportunity for the kids, I played in the Walker Cup which is in Lahinch this year, the Palmer Cup was in Tralee last weekend and now the Junior Ryder Cup in Limerick, so Ireland is taking over junior team events,” McGinley said.