Rory McIlroy shares his pride in Shane Lowry’s winning putt at the Ryder Cup

Rory McIlroy opened up about the impressive performance of his fellow teammate Shane Lowry after winning the Ryder Cup. Last week at the Bethpage Black Course, the Europeans had a dominant performance, and they retained the title.

McIlroy and Lowry had a good outing last week, and after the tournament, the Northern Irish golfer talked about the fellow PGA Tour pro and his performance at the Ryder Cup. He further reflected on Lowry's potential to win more Majors in his career. McIlroy said (via Irish Independent):

"What he did yesterday and today was just absolutely amazing. What Shane did today, that'll stand him for the rest of his career. I mean, he could enjoy the last few holes of Portrush [when winning The Open in 2019], but what he had to go through today to get that done, that'll stand to him for the rest of his career. Hopefully [in more majors]. I'd love that. I'd love to see that.”

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry were paired for the Friday fourball and Saturday fourball matchups last week. In their opening day outing, the duo played against Sam Burns and Patrick Cantlay, and the game resulted in a tie.

The next day, they competed against Justin Thomas and Cameron Young and won the game by 2 up. Shane Lowry made the final winning putt on Saturday four-ball game to help them seize the win against the USA team.

However, Sunday was pretty tough for the European team. In the singles, Rory McIlroy played against Scottie Scheffler but lost 1 up. However, Lowry's matchup against Russell Henley resulted in a tie.

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Rory McIlroy reflects on his bonding with Shane Lowry and his family

Rory McIlroy shares a very strong bond with Shane Lowry. Their families are also very close. Following the Ryder Cup, McIlroy opened up about his bond with Lowry and said that he is like a "big brother" to him. He said (via Irish Independent):

"He got into big brother mode. He put his arm around me and said, ‘Right, we're in this together."

The current World No. 2 also talked about his daughter Poppy bonding with Lowry's daughters Iris and Ivy, and also added that their wives are also "best friends." He said:

"Our families are so close. Poppy is best friends with Iris and Ivy. Erica and Wendy are best friends. Shane and I are unbelievably close. And the McIlroys are very fortunate to have the Lowrys in our lives.”

It was Shane Lowry's third appearance at the Ryder Cup. He made his debut in 2021, but the European team lost that year. During his appearance in 2023 the Europe won in Rome and then went on to defend the title in 2025.