Shane Lowry has revealed the key for Rory McIlroy to win The Open Championship in his home country of Northern Ireland.
We are ready for the final major of the year, The Open Championship at Royal Portrush. It’s a special place for both McIlroy and Lowry, and one that holds special memories for Lowry, who won the championship there in 2019.
Not so much for McIlroy, who shot a quadruple bogey on the very first hole in his opening round, going on to shoot 79 and missing the cut. Lowry gave some of his championship-winning wisdom to McIlroy as we return to his home country course.
Shane Lowry reveals the key to Rory McIlroy winning The Open Championship at Royal Portrush
Lowry thinks that the quadruple bogey on the first hole was the key to McIlroy’s downfall in 2019, and a good start in front of his home fans would have meant a totally different outcome.
Speaking to the Sky Sports Golf podcast, he said, “I have no doubt that if Rory plays the first hole better that tournament, he does way better. It’s all about, for us, getting off to a good start. If we can get off to a good start, you can put yourself there.”
A home crowd can be a double-edged sword. Either you feed off their energy or crumble under the pressure. Lowry said his strength is the former.
He continued, “The whole crowd is going to be behind us, and you can use that whatever way you want, but I think I’m pretty good at using that to my advantage like I did in 2019.
“It is all about tempering expectation, though. The want to succeed here is through the roof. It’s more than anything we have, any other time of the year.”
Expectations for McIlroy, who said he wanted to hide when he returned to Europe, are sky-high after his 2025 Masters win, and second-place finish at the Genesis Scottish Open last weekend.
With the weight of Ireland on his shoulders too, Lowry said the mental side of the sport is more important than the physical this weekend.
“There are going to be a lot of talks between me and my coaches, because for me it’s more about feeling right in my head rather than actually hitting the golf ball.”
Shane Lowry reflects on 2019 Open Championship win at Royal Portrush
As McIlroy crumbled in 2019, Lowry thrived, winning his first major title by six strokes.
A Saturday masterclass won him the tournament. Lowry shot a bogey-free 63, which was a course record for the new Portrush layout. This incredible round gave him a four-shot lead heading into the final day.
Through the wind and rain of Northern Ireland, Lowry extended his lead on the Sunday, hyping up the raucous crowd on his walk to the 18th green.
He reflected on the greatest moment of his career so far, “I don’t feel like it’s just another tournament because we’re here in Portrush, and what I did last time was very, very special.
“People talk about being in the zone – that was me in the zone, and I don’t think I’ve been there since! I feel like the stars aligned and it all came together. I’m fortunate that it happened on the right week, and I got to do this at Portrush.
“No matter what happens for the rest of my career, I’ll always have that week. Those are memories that hopefully one day I’ll be showing the grandkids.”
The attention is very much on McIlroy this week at Portrush, but Lowry does not enter the tournament flying under the radar as he did six years ago.
The local fans are hopeful of a storybook win for either McIlroy or Lowry, and Lowry will hope to replicate his 2019 success this year.