"There's just no gimmies out there," - Shane Lowry calls Memorial Tournament setup 'difficult' despite solid start

Irish professional golfer Shane Lowry is in the field at the 2025 Memorial Tournament in Muirfield Village Golf Club. Having shot three-under 69 in his opening round, he described the course as “difficult.”

Lowry’s maiden PGA Tour title came in the 2015 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational. Following that, he secured two more titles: one in the 2019 Open Championship and another in the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans, which he won with Rory McIlroy.

After his first round at Muirfield, Shane Lowry spoke to the media, giving a recap of how his game went. He said (via ASAP Sports):

“3-under is a good score out there on this course, it's pretty difficult… Yeah, there's just no gimmies out there. There's no holes where you feel like you can get away with one. You need to hit good shots.”

Shane Lowry also spoke about another difficult course he has played in the past– the iconic Oakmont Country Club. He said the first time he played the course was just before the 2016 U.S. Open when he went to practice with his coach. He recalled being discouraged and not knowing how he was going to tackle the course. However, to his surprise, he put up a good performance in the competition. He said:

“And I sat there in the locker room going, I have no idea how I'm going to play golf around this place… And then six days later, I had a four-shot lead going into the final round.”

Notably, Shane Lowry narrowly missed the victory in the 2016 U.S. Open, finishing with one-under. He landed at T2 and was three strokes behind Dustin Johnson, who finished with four-under.

How did Shane Lowry perform in his opening round at the 2025 Memorial Tournament?

Shane Lowry charged into his opening round at Muirfield Village with a birdie on the par-4 second hole and a sensational eagle on the par-5 seventh. He shot two bogeys on the back nine, on the 11th and 15th. He then shot two more birdies on the 13th and 16th.

At the end of day one, the Clara-born golfer carded three-under 69 and is tied with Keegan Bradley and Nick Taylor for T4.

American golfer Ben Griffin took the lead following round 1 after carding seven-under 65. Collin Morikawa is in second place, while Max Homa is third.

Here’s a look at Lowry’s scorecard from his first round at the 2025 Memorial Tournament:

Round 1

Hole 1 (par 4) - 4
Hole 2 (par 4) - 3
Hole 3 (par 4) - 4
Hole 4 (par 3) - 3
Hole 5 (par 5) - 5
Hole 6 (par 4) - 4
Hole 7 (par 5) - 3
Hole 8 (par 3) - 3
Hole 9 (par 4) - 4
Hole 10 (par 4) - 4
Hole 11 (par 5) - 6
Hole 12 (par 3) - 3
Hole 13 (par 4) - 3
Hole 14 (par 4) - 4
Hole 15 (par 5) - 6
Hole 16 (par 3) - 2
Hole 17 (par 4) - 4
Hole 18 (par 4) - 4

About the author

Sarah Rishama Madaki is a dedicated Golf Writer at Sportskeeda with a passion for bringing fresh perspectives to the world of sports journalism. With five years of professional experience as a content writer and strategist, she has worked with global brands across diverse industries, including stints at Soot Africa, TWU, Ink Different Hub, and Attrock.

A devoted fan of golf, Sarah stays updated on the sport through platforms like ESPN, SS Golf, and esteemed publications such as Golf Digest and Golf.com. She combines her knowledge of the game with an ability to understand audience preferences, crafting stories that resonate deeply with readers.

Sarah credits Tiger Woods as her inspiration for entering the world of golf. His resilience, innovative contributions to the game, and achievements motivate her to push boundaries in her career.

Beyond golf, Sarah is an avid NFL enthusiast cheering for the Kansas City Chiefs, a fiction novel lover, and a budding gardener. She aspires to one day cover historic events like The Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, bringing fans closer to the heart of the action.

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Edited by Pratham K Sharma