Shane Lowry admitted he was living through “the hardest couple of hours” of his career after holing the crucial putt that ensured Europe would retain the Ryder Cup on Sunday.
The Irishman was at the centre of extraordinary drama on the 18th green, holding his nerve to complete a point that kept the famous trophy in European hands. Fighting back tears, he confessed the occasion had pushed him to the limit.
Lowry has enjoyed some of golf’s most memorable moments, most notably his victory at The Open in 2019 on home soil at Royal Portrush. Yet, in the raw aftermath of his Ryder Cup heroics, he insisted nothing compares to the biennial contest against the United States.
"The Ryder Cup means everything to me," he declared. "I won the Open in Ireland but the Ryder Cup is everything. To do that on the 18th in front of everyone — it was so hard. Fair play to the US lads. We knew they would come out fighting."
Shane Lowry was overcome with emotion after holing the putt to retain the Ryder Cup
|REUTERS
The tension in New York was palpable as Europe fought to cross the finishing line.
Many American players stepped up to give themselves a fighting chance, only to come up agonisingly short.
Lowry admitted that even after making his putt, he was desperate for team-mates still out on the course to secure the half-point needed for outright victory.
"I just hope one of the boys can get a half point so we can get the win," he said.
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Shane Lowry had nothing but praise for Team Europe captain Luke Donald
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Lowry also turned his attention to Luke Donald, the European captain whose calm leadership and tactical nous were credited as key factors in the triumph.
His praise could not have been higher.
"Luke is the greatest captain that has ever lived. He's the most amazing man in the world," Lowry said. "He's done the best job. I don't know what to say."
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For the Offaly native, the victory carries even greater significance with the knowledge that the Ryder Cup will return to Irish soil in 2027, when Adare Manor hosts the tournament.
The thought of competing in front of his home crowd already has Lowry smiling.
"It will be a little bit nicer than playing here, I know that!" he quipped.
Shane Lowry was delighted as he celebrated with the fans
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The Ryder Cup has always been about more than golf — it is about pressure, pride and the weight of representing a continent.
On Sunday at Bethpage Black, Lowry shouldered all of that, delivered when it mattered most, and in doing so carved his name into the history of one of sport’s greatest competitions and arguably the greatest moment he will experience in his career.