Why Rory McIlroy's friend Shane Lowry missed his celebration for 2026 Masters

TL;DR

Rory McIlroy won his second Masters, but Shane Lowry missed the celebration due to feeling dejected about his own performance, finishing tied for 30th. Lowry expressed happiness for McIlroy but chose to stay home instead of celebrating.

Key points

Rory McIlroy won his second Masters.
Shane Lowry finished tied for 30th in the tournament.
Lowry felt dejected and chose to stay home instead of celebrating.

Rory McIlroyShane LowryMasters

Why Rory McIlroy's friend Shane Lowry missed his celebration for 2026 Masters originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

Rory McIlroy won his second Masters over the weekend, but his best friend Shane Lowry was not in the mood to celebrate his win.

Lowry, who also competed in the Masters tournament April 6–12, 2026, and finished in a tie for 30th place, revealed that his own performance in the tournament weighed in his decision.

“I was feeling a bit down and dejected a little bit, so I just stayed at home with my crew, but I’ll see him in a couple of weeks in Florida,” Lowry told Golf Monthly in a story published Friday, April 17. “I texted him on Sunday night, and I said, ‘Honestly, I’m so happy for you, but I don’t have it in me tonight to go over and celebrate.’”

Although Lowry ended up in 30th place, he started the tournament off strong and, even on the last day, was only two strokes behind McIlroy.

While the Masters didn't end in Lowry's favor, McIlroy's path to his second Green Jacket was not easy. McIlroy had to fight off Scottie Scheffler, who finished in second and was 11-under.

McIlroy is the fourth-ever pro golfer to win a Masters back-to-back since Tiger Woods in 2003. He shared how proud of himself he was and that he kept believing in himself.

"This feels incredible. It’s my 17th time here, and I started to wonder if it would ever be my time," he told the PGA. "I think the last 10 years of coming here with the burden of the Grand Slam on my shoulders, it weighed on me, and I'm sort of wondering what we're going to talk about going into next year's Masters! I'm absolutely honored and thrilled, and so proud to be able to call myself a Masters champion."