Shane Lowry details what winning Masters means to Rory McIlroy amid embrace

The golf world rejoiced around Rory McIlroy when he finally won The Masters for the first time on Sunday at Augusta National.

As soon as he drained the birdie putt on the first playoff hole to win his first Green Jacket, plenty of tour pros past and present were there to greet him as he walked off the 18th green.

One of those players was Shane Lowry, a fellow Irishman and one of McIlroy’s good friends on the tour. The two shared an emotional embrace before McIlroy went into the clubhouse.

Lowry also explained how happy he is for McIlroy and what this win means to him in an interview on Golf Channel afterward.

“It’s all he talks about, it’s all he thinks about,” Lowry said. “He’s always said to me he would retire a happy man if he won the Green Jacket. … He’s had a long 10 years, 11 years. He’s had a lot of hurdles, he’s had a lot of moments to get back up from and it’s a credit to him.”

Lowry was also in contention this week at The Masters before a mess of a final round where he shot a 9-over 81 to finish T-42.

Lowry and McIlroy won a team PGA Tour event in 2024 at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, so the Irishman knows what the Masters champ has been through on this quest back to the winner’s circle at a major.

Now, McIlroy is there, and Lowry is far from the only golfer, our professional athlete in general, to send their congratulations to him. McIlroy will have plenty of praise to bask in, and he has earned every bit of it.

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