Shane Lowry Explains Why He Didn’t Celebrate Rory McIlroy’s Masters Win

Despite their strong friendship, Shane Lowry wasn’t at Rory McIlroy’s celebration following Sunday night’s victory at Augusta National.

Although he faced plenty of adversity during the final round, McIlroy did just enough to become the first repeat champion at the Masters since Tiger Woods in 2001-02. There was plenty of pressure on the Northern Ireland native, especially after he squandered a six-stroke lead during the third round.

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“I thought it was so difficult to win last year because of trying to win the Masters and the Grand Slam, and then this year I realized it’s just really difficult to win the Masters,” McIlroy said. “I tried to convince myself it was both.”

So why wasn’t Lowry present at McIlroy’s celebration last weekend? He told Golf Channel that he was feeling “dejected” after carding an 80 in the final round of the Masters.

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“I wasn’t. Obviously the stories from last year when I called over his house with a case of wine and all that,” Lowry said. “I texted him Sunday night, and I said, ‘Honestly, I’m so happy for you, but I don’t have it in me tonight to come over and celebrate with you.’ I was feeling a bit down and dejected, so I just sat at home with my crew. I’ll see him in a couple of weeks down in Florida.”

Lowry showed his true colors.

Even though Lowry didn’t throw a celebration over McIlroy winning back-to-back Masters titles, he was one of the first people to hug him once the final round at Augusta came to an end.

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If that’s not true friendship, we’re not sure what is.

Lowry will try to redeem himself on the golf course this weekend at the RBC Heritage. He’d love to gain some momentum heading into the PGA Championship.

This story was originally published by The Spun on Apr 18, 2026, where it first appeared in the Golf section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.