Rory McIlroy: Shane Lowry wasn’t just a bodyguard, he played great golf

The last Ryder Cup brought a lot of excitement, and most believe it Shane Lowry was one of the most important figures of the entire team. The veteran golfer was ultimately key to his team’s success, securing a 2-up win for himself McIlroy with an excellent shot on the final par-four.

The two are good friends off the golf course, so it was expected that their partnership would bring the kind of dominance and chemistry the Europeans wanted to see.

“People talk about Shane and him being Rory’s bodyguard, but that takes away from the golf that Shane played those two days,” McIlroy said, as quoted by Air sports.

“He played great on Friday and actually won the game for us on Saturday afternoon.

Rory McIlroy thinks fans didn’t appreciate Lowry’s contribution during the last edition, but it seems he may have been the main character of the whole team. McIlroy is pleased to have been paired with Lowry, believing that although they were not the best combination on paper, they showed courage and character and managed to help the Europeans to victory.

He lives for the Ryder Cup. Shane and I probably weren’t the best match or the best combination on paper in the fourballs in terms of statistics, but statistics don’t tell you what it’s like to be with someone who you have complete trust in and who will protect you.

I’m just so glad that I was there with Shane on Friday and Saturday afternoon and no one else because I definitely felt like he gave me the buffer that I needed, especially those two games.

Lowry responds

Shane Lowry also told the media that many people think he was dragging Rory around, but the Irishman believes they were both dragging each other.

Lowry still remembers with nostalgia the final day of the tournament, when it looked like the Americans could completely turn the tables and win, but he and his teammates managed to prevent this.