Lowry back in his happy place at Royal Portrush where mural depicts 'special' 2019 win
For the people in this part of Northern Ireland, it is a piece of art that serves as a constant reminder of not just one of the great victories in the British Open's 165-year history but one of the great moments for Irish sport.
An Irishman winning the Open on the island of Ireland.
Six years later, Lowry is back on the Antrim coast looking to do it all over again.
'I didn't know what to make of it at the start,' Lowry said of the mural that immortalized the best golfing day of his life, 'and then when they did it, people kept sending me pictures.
'Everyone that comes up here sends me pictures standing beside it. Some of them I can't say what they were doing in it,' he added, laughing, 'but it is very special. I've done something special in my life.'
And, boy, did he celebrate it.
There's video of Lowry, a beer in one hand and the silver claret jug in the other, singing Irish folk song 'The Fields of Athenry' in a bar in Dublin hours after his six-shot victory.
It sure wasn't the only drinking hole he visited in the Irish capital that night, which — to some — fueled the narrative of him being something of a party animal.
'Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy it from time to time,' he said, 'but I know when I need to put my head down and work.
'You can't be at the top level of any sport if you're not applying yourself well, and I feel like I do it.'
Indeed, the No. 18-ranked Lowry feels in a good place after being back home in Ireland for the past three weeks, skipping the opportunity to play at the Scottish Open — regarded as a warmup to the British Open.
Instead, he has played a slew of the best courses in Ireland — among them Portmarnock, Waterville and also Adare Manor, which is hosting the Ryder Cup in 2027 — in perfect weather.
Lowry, whose only solo victory since Portrush in 2019 was the European tour's flagship BMW PGA Championship in 2022, feels 'rejuvenated' and as prepared as he could be in his bid to become the first player to win consecutive British Opens at the same course since Tiger Woods at St. Andrews in 2000 and '05.
'Sometimes when everything is going really well, I get complacent,' he said. "I feel like when things are not going well is when I'm at my best.
'Go back to 2019 here, I had a meltdown on the Wednesday because I thought I wasn't going to go out and play well, but then that focused me in a little bit more.'
Roared on by a raucous crowd, Lowry went on to play the best golf of his life in what at times was rough and wet weather.
Few will forget the scene of Lowry — dressed all in black — marching to the 18th green on Sunday with a broad smile and his arms out wide, to the backdrop of green-white-and-orange Irish flags and jubilant umbrella-holding spectators.
'I came to a place that I knew and I loved,' he said, 'and it just all clicked.'
'I'm happy," Lowry said, 'I don't have to drive past it every day.'
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New York Times
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- New York Times
2025 Open Championship odds, DFS picks: Is this Jon Rahm's best opportunity to win?
The final major championship of the PGA Tour season comes to us from the beautiful coast of Northern Ireland, with Royal Portrush Golf Club in County Antrim hosting the 2025 Open Championship. Royal Portrush last hosted the Open Championship in 2019 when Shane Lowry set records on a soft course. The players will be playing the Dunluce Links course, which is overlooked by the ruins of Dunluce Castle. The beauty of the golf course will be tough to capture on camera without a panoramic view of the hills of Donegal to the west and the Isle of Islay to the north. The course is regularly rated one of the top 100 golf courses in the world and among the top 10 golf courses outside the United States. Advertisement Royal Portrush hosted the 2012 Irish Open, which was historically significant as the first Irish Open to be held in Northern Ireland since 1953. In 2019, Rory McIlroy showed why Royal Portrush can be a difficult test of your entire game. McIlroy struggled in his first round at the Open Championship that year and ended up missing the cut by one stroke on a course that means a lot to him. He looks to be in a better head space as he heads into this year's Open Championship with the career grand slam under his belt and back-to-back top-six finishes in his last two tournaments. Royal Portrush demands a variety of golf shots off the tee. You can't just hit your stock baby fade and expect not to get punished by the runoffs in some spots. You will get unlucky in some instances by hitting a good shot that ends up in a fairway pot bunker. The way you recover from those bad breaks will make all the difference. Players need to be committed and accurate off the tee. They need to be able to use a variety of shots around the green and have control of their ball from the bunkers, and they will have to avoid three putts. 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He contended at the Masters and the U.S. Open and was among the leaders on Thursday at the PGA Championship before falling back. He finished T6 here in 2019, and he has been in decent form on the LIV Golf Tour. He is driving it longer than he ever has, but that won't help him here. His ability from the bunker and around the greens is what has me excited about his chances. Xander Schauffele (+2500) has been inconsistent for most of the season. He has struggled with his putter and has been hit-or-miss with his driver. He popped last week with his irons by gaining over nine strokes on approach. He is just a little bit off with his putter, but he doesn't look lost like Daniel Berger looks right now. Schauffele is the defending Open Champion, and he has never missed a cut at this tournament. His ability to hit multiple shots off the tee and his excellent hands around the green mean he will be a factor more often than not. 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(Photo of Jon Rahm: Angel Martinez / Getty Images)
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