As we head into the weekend of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, there will be some big names missing after they failed to make the cut.

The tournament, which sees golfers team up in pairs for the event at TPC Louisiana, has proven to be very tricky indeed through its first two rounds.

Most notably, Shane Lowry, who teamed up with Brooks Koepka for the first time this week, will not be playing the weekend.

Lowry and Koepka shot nine-under over two days, posting an opening round of 66 and a 69 in the second round.

However, the cut line this weekend ended up being a challenging 10-under and their blossoming partnership has been halted already.

Other prominent pairings to fall at the hurdle include Tony Finau and Max Greyserman (-9), Christo Lamprecht and Neal Shipley (-6), and Kevin Yu and Tom Kim (-4).

Only 35 pairings made it beyond this harsh cut line, meaning more than half the field has been sent packing ahead of round three.

It prompted Michael Kim, who was watching along at home, to tweet: "Can't tell if Zurich is the toughest tournament to win or the easiest. Sneaky hard cut to make."

That cut line was enough to have defending champions Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak sweating over their fate.

A birdie on the 15th helped their cause, with Griffin sending his tee shot close to the pin for Novak to wrap up the hole.

There were clutch moments for the likes of David Lipsky, who holed out from the bunker to send himself and Rico Hoey through by the skin of their teeth. Likewise, Ben Kohles sunk a 34-foot putt to help him and Lanto Griffin over the line.

We also saw Max McGreevy and Kevin Roy seal their place with a birdie on the 18th, while one of the youngest pairings in the field, 18-year-old Blades Brown and 22-year-old Luke Clanton, made it through in style with birdies on their final three holes.

Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer currently hold the solo lead at 16-under. The Fitzpatrick brothers (Matt and Alex) are T2nd alongside Davis Thompson/Austin Eckroat and Billy Horschel/Tom Hoge.

After Matt Fitzpatrick's win at the RBC Heritage, a victory alongside his brother would be twice as sweet as it would secure Alex his PGA Tour card for next season.

We've seen glimpses of Shane Lowry's talents this year already, but he's also shown an unwanted ability to collapse when it matters most.

Lowry went close at the Cognizant Classic but let his lead slip in the latter stages, with Nico Echavarria moving in to take the title.

Then, at The Masters, the Irishman was at -9 and had solo fourth place after three rounds, but he suffered a catastrophic final round.

In fact, while Haotong Li's nightmare on the back nine caught the eye and saw him end up with a +8 for the day, Lowry recorded an equally bad score on Sunday.

His final round of 80 saw him drop from fourth all the way down to T30 with a score of -1 for the week.

Lowry was in line for $1,080,000 had he remained in fourth place, but his final Masters payout was just $146,250. That's a whopping $933,750 less than he was tracking for, but such is the nature of Augusta National.

It was a final round that started with a bogey, and Lowry was plagued by visits to the bunkers throughout the rest of the day.

He also bogeyed on 4 and recorded a double bogey on 5, before another three bogeys and two doubles on the back nine cemented his downfall.

Unsurprisingly, Lowry skipped media duties after posting that 80 on Sunday.

Still, while Lowry's career earnings didn't receive much of a boost, he did get to see his best friend Rory McIlroy secure back-to-back Masters titles.

Just like last year, Lowry stuck around to give McIlroy a hug and congratulate him on his victory, despite probably feeling like disappearing as quickly as possible after his own poor round.

Lowry also notched his second hole-in-one at Augusta this week, adding to his previous aces at TPC Sawgrass, Pebble Beach and Houston's Memorial Park.

Shane Lowry is a golfer who most players would admit to rooting for from time to time, and his long list of supportive peers is almost as big as his career earnings tally.

The Irishman doesn't have all that many wins on the PGA Tour but he is a Major winner and he's consistently sniffing around the top-10 at huge events throughout the year.

Lowry has had plenty of near-misses which could have drastically improved his bank balance and his world ranking, but he's still bagged a healthy bulk of prize money.

Having won the European Amateur Team Championship in 2007 and 2008, Lowry was always destined for the top, and he's a golfer who has continually produced the goods in big moments.

A close friend and long-time playing partner of Rory McIlroy, Lowry has rubbed shoulders with the very best over the years. But, he's plenty of achievements of his own to shout about.

From early success like winning the Irish Open on his European Tour debut in 2009 and equalling Nick Faldo's course record at Sunningdale in 2010, Lowry can now call himself an Open Championship winner and two-time Ryder Cup winner.

He is currently ranked number 32 in the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR), but has previously been as high as number 10 back in 2025.

Between 2009 and 2012, Lowry only played one or two events a year and earned a little over $36,000 at best. However, that jumped up a notch in 2013, when he played nine events, landed a top-10 finish at the Accenture Match Play Championship to earn $144,000.

A tie for 15th at the Valero Texas Open also came with a $93,000 prize. However, during this time, Lowry was always able to top up his winnings with a respectable showing on the DP World Tour.

Lowry has often had a good time at The Open, with a T9th finish boosting his earnings by $192,241 in 2014. A year later, the Irishman landed his first big win, claiming the Bridgestone Invitational title and earning over $1.5m in the process.

He also finished T7th at the Farmers Insurance Open (earning $189,787) and T9th at the US Open (earning $235,316).

He would improve on that showing and really make a name for himself by finishing T2nd at the US Open the following year, which added another $745,270 to his earnings. A T6th finish at the Waste Management also earned Lowry another $203,450.

2017 and 2018 were disappointing years for Lowry, who saw his earnings fall below the $1m mark quite significantly after struggling to land strong finishes.

However, he more than made up for that in 2019, where a total of $3.49m was earned from his win at The Open at Royal Portrush Golf Club, as well as T2nd at the Canadian Open and T3rd at the RBC Heritage.

Lowry saw a dip again in 2020, with just one top-10 finish to his name and yearly earnings of $781,326, but he was far more consistent in 2021. Top-10 finishes at The Players Championship, the RBC Heritage, and The Memorial, along with a T4th at the PGA Championship helped him earn $2.64m.

A couple of big-earners in 2022 helped reach a total of $3.62m, with a runner-up slot at the Honda Classic and an incredible T3rd at The Masters bringing in roughly $870,000 each.

Interestingly, Lowry managed to bank some respectable winnings in 2023 despite finishing outside the top-10 in the Genesis Invitational, The Masters, The PGA Championship, and the Travelers Championship. It's amazing what the odd $200,000 or $300,000 can add up to, with Lowry recording a $2.59m haul for that year.

The past couple of seasons have been far, far more profitable for Lowry. He raked in over $6m in 2024, with $1.28m coming from his playoff win alongside McIlroy at the Zurich Classic, and an even bigger $1.4m for his third-placed finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

However, 2025 was even better, with over $7m earned in total. He may not have won an event last year, but a solo second at Pebble Beach brought in $2.16m while a T2nd at the Truist Championship added a further $1.76m.

Were it not for Lowry's collapse at the Cognizant Classic, he would have been looking strong for 2026. Still, $726,400 isn't to be sniffed at, and it looks like he will add a healthy sum with his performance at The Masters, too.

One thing's for sure, if Lowry were paid solely to make a hole in one, he'd be a very rich man indeed. He's already had aces at Pebble Beach and TPC Sawgrass, and now he's got two at Augusta National to set a new course record.

Overall, Lowry has earned $31,787,828 on the PGA Tour, and a further €24,059,695 ($28,234,052) on the European Tour to register a total of just over $60m throughout his career.

Shane Lowry Career Earnings: Year By Year

*total includes modern exchange-rate figures

The McIlroy-Lowry partnership at the Zurich Classic has run its course, the tournament has confirmed in announcing a new Shane Lowry and Brooks Koepka partnership this year.

The all-Srixon duo will team up next month in the pairs event, which takes place at TPC Louisiana from April 23-26.

McIlroy and Lowry won the event in 2024 in their debut together, which was also the five-time Major champion's first ever start in the tournament.

The partnership came about following the 2023 Ryder Cup in Rome, when the close friends had a "drunken lunch" together back home in Florida.

"Very excited," McIlroy told Golf.com in 2024. "I asked him [Lowry]. We had this really drunken lunch the week after the Ryder Cup last year. I said to him, 'Do you want to play Zurich together?' We're like, 'Yeah'."

They kept to their deal and the partnership got off to the perfect start with victory in 2024, when they defeated Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer in a playoff before celebrating with karaoke on stage.

They returned last year as McIlroy made his first start since completing the career grand slam at The Masters. They finished T12th, six back of winners Ben Griffin and Andrew Novak.

The defending champions are confirmed for this year's event as well as Danish twins Nicolai and Rasmus Hojgaard, who finished as runners-up last year.

The Zurich Classic looks to be the latest event to fall off of McIlroy's 2026 schedule, with the former World No.1 also dropping the Houston Open this year. It means he heads to Augusta with three full weeks off, having last competed at The Players Championship earlier this month.

He had been struggling with a back issue, which forced him out of the Arnold Palmer Invitational the week before.

"I'll see. I haven't really made a decision either way," he said on his pre-Masters schedule at TPC Sawgrass.

"I'll see how my body feels. We'll see how I feel in practice and at home and if I get itchy feet at home maybe add an event at some point.

"I feel like it was important to make the weekend here and play an extra couple of days.

"But yeah, really just see how the next week goes, see how once I get back to actually a full practice schedule and in the gym and stuff like that, see how my body reacts to that, and then I'll see."

Shane Lowry has put his Cognizant Classic nightmare into perspective thanks to his daughter, his big mate Rory McIlroy and a famous Irish sports star.

Two late double bogeys cost Lowry his first individual title since the 2022 BMW PGA Championship, and he admits he lost sleep over those mistakes at PGA National last Sunday night.

Lowry did not have long to stew over such a stinging loss though as he was back in action the very next day - playing in the prestigious Seminole Pro-Member tournament on Monday.

The 2019 Open champion also said he was fortunate to have a "great support network around me" which had helped him to try and process such a bad loss ahead of a swift PGA Tour return at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

"I had some amazing people reach out to me over the 24 hours after that," Lowry told SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio.

"I got one particular phone call from an Irish sportsperson who I really admire, and he was very, very kind to me."

Along with famous sports stars, Lowry got a lesson in perspective from his nine-year-old daughter Iris.

"It was my daughter's birthday yesterday, and I took her to Starbucks on the way to school," Lowry said at Bay Hill.

"And we were sitting there, and a friend of mine came over to the car, and honestly, speaking to people over the last few days, it’s like someone had passed away.

"And my daughter just turned around, and she goes, ‘Dad, why is everyone acting so sad that you finished second? Like, second’s good.’

"So, yeah, a little bit of perspective there. She's like, ‘It's not like you finished last'."

McIlroy offers Lowry hope for the season

Lowry also has his great golfing buddie Rory McIlroy to lean on as well, with the five-time Major champion remarkably having suffered the very same fate at PGA National when he double bogeyed the 16th to lose the Honda Classic in 2014.

And the new Grand Slam winner says he's reminded Lowry of that fact - and that he went on to win two Majors that same year, so he can't let two bad swings ruin what could still be a fine season.

"I played golf with him on Monday morning. He was fine. He was in good spirits," said McIlroy ahead of the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

"I reminded him, I double bogeyed the 16th at PGA National in 2014 to lose the tournament. And I went on to win two Majors that year.

"So I was trying to, yeah, like, look, it's one event, it was two bad holes, two bad swings. It doesn't mean that the rest of the year's going to be bad.

"Again, I had a horrible finish there in 2014 and ended up going on to have one of the best years of my career. So I just reminded him of that."

Lowry will also be hoping to draw inspiration from Tommy Fleetwood, who had that long winless run on the PGA Tour finally come to an end last season with a huge win at the Tour Championship.

Fleetwood had some big losses along the way, notably losing a lead to Keegan Bradley at the Travelers Championship and also faltering late on when leading the FedEx St Jude Championship.

But, much like McIlroy's mantra when chasing that elusive fifth Major for over a decade, Lowry knows he has to just "keep putting myself there" in search of a tournament win.

And he still feels that at PGA National he played "some of the best golf of my whole career" adding "I felt so in control out there" until "one bad swing took it all away from me."

Lowry will hope that his form holds to get into contention again, when he'll look to avoid making the same mistakes as at PGA National.

Ireland's Shane Lowry admitted he "had the tournament in my hands, and I threw it away" following his late collapse at the Cognizant Classic In The Palm Beaches on Sunday.

Lowry was the 54-hole leader at PGA National's Champion Course and was bogey-free through 15 holes as he established a comfortable three-stroke lead heading into the layout's famous Bear Trap.

However, seemingly out of nowhere, the 38-year-old excessively faded his tee shot at the par-4 16th into the water down the right before going on to make a decent double-bogey, given the circumstances.

Stood on the 17th tee box, he then watched rival - and eventual winner - Nico Echavarria birdie the final par 3 to draw level in the group ahead.

Shockingly, Lowry proceeded to once again slice his tee shot into the water down the right and once again made a double-bogey to all but end his chances of a first solo PGA Tour title in seven years.

The man who produced the winning putt for Team Europe at last year's Ryder Cup has three PGA Tour titles to his name, with the first arriving at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational back in 2015.

Lowry also claimed The Open Championship at Royal Portrush in 2019 and partnered Rory McIlroy to the Zurich Classic of New Orleans trophy in 2024.

But, with the latest chance to snap that streak arguably as close as it's ever been, Lowry was unable to cross the line.

Reacting to the final-round events immediately after signing for a closing two-under 69, Lowry was almost at a loss for words over what occurred.

He said: "I'm obviously extremely disappointed. I had the tournament in my hands, and I threw it away. What more can I say? That's twice this year now so far. I'm getting good at it.

"Yeah, look, what can I say? I played unbelievable all day, and one bad shot on 16 completely threw me for the last three holes. It's never happened to me before.

"I said to Darren [Reynolds - caddie], how do I feel like this now when I went through what I did last September in Bethpage and got through that fine?

"I just felt like it was weird out there; I just really -- yeah, just couldn't feel the club face the last three holes then after my tee shot on 16. It was strange.

"What can I say? It's very disappointing. Geez, this is going to be hard to take. Dubai was hard at the start of the year, but this is going to be pretty hard."

Lowry was referencing his late stumble at the DP World Tour's Dubai Invitational back in January, when a clumsy green-side bunker shot dropped into the water and ultimately saw the Irishman finish T3rd shortly after leading.

Following two extremely disappointing finishes to tournaments over the first two months of the year, the question many people are asking is 'how does Lowry put these moments behind him?'

A similar question was posed to the 2019 Open champion later in his post-Cognizant Classic press conference, to which Lowry replied: "I have a tee time next Thursday in Bay Hill, and I have no choice but to move on."

Followed by his wife Wendy and daughter Iris, Lowry admitted the most painful aspect of the defeat was not the loss of money or FedEx Cup points, but the fact he couldn't enjoy that sweet family moment on the 18th green for the first time since his daughter was born.

He continued: "The hardest thing about today is I've never won in front of my four-year-old, and she was there waiting for me.

"Yeah, I only wanted it for her today. I didn't want it for -- I don't care about anything else. I wanted it so bad.

"Just to see her little ginger hair running down the 18th green would have been the most special thing in the world. I thought I had it. I thought I was going to win.

"I didn't get ahead of myself, but I felt so comfortable out there, and then yeah, tried to get a lot out of my 3-iron on 16 and did the only thing I couldn't really do."

The Cognizant Classic has a couple of problems such as this year's field and being in a tough spot in the schedule, and the overseeding at PGA National has been discussed as another issue.

PGA National was fully overseeded last year and that saw Joe Highsmith win with a record low score of 19 under at the Palm Beach Gardens course, while Jake Knapp shot a 59 in the first round.

With plenty of water hazards and the infamous Bear Trap finish, PGA National was seen as one of the tougher tests on the schedule, but many feel the overseeding of Bermuda grass with rye grass has lessened the challenge.

And it's something that one player says the PGA Tour has to gain control of over the course owners, who have the final say.

Aesthetically the overseeding helps the course look greener for the TV audience, but players such as Billy Horschel, Brooks Koepka and Shane Lowry say it also makes it easier.

The overseeding just takes some fire out of PGA National, having an overall softening effect which in particular makes chipping around the greens a lot easier than on straight Bermuda

"Chipping around the greens has gotten a lot easier," said Brooks Koepka as he returns to the event for the first time since 2022.

"I definitely think they [scores] will be lower just because of the overseed. I think you saw last year with Jake, those scores are definitely possible. Not saying anybody is going to do it this year. They very well could, but it's definitely gotten easier.

"Now with it being a little bit more consistent, I think you've got a reasonable chance of making - holing a chip or even getting it up-and-down.

"It was always a little bit - not sketchy, but anybody that knows or lives down on the East Coast knows that Bermuda isn't exactly the easiest thing to chip off of, especially when it's been trampled down over plenty of days and it's a little grainy into.

"But now at least you can get under the ball and have good contact with it. It makes chipping a lot easier."

Koepka does like a lot of the other changes to the course that have been made since his last appearance, adding: "It's the best I've seen this course in probably my 15 years, 20 years down here."

Is PGA National now too easy? Should the PGA Tour have total control of setting up tournament courses? Let us know by joining the conversation below...

PGA Tour needs 'complete control' of course setup

Billy Horschel posted on social media that the PGA National owners and not the PGA Tour have decided on the overseeding, something he hopes will change in future.

"One thing going forward that we need to do is make sure we have complete control of the setup of all Tour courses," Horschel wrote.

He's not a massive fan of the overseeding as a Florida native - as it takes away the advantage he has of experience chipping on Bermuda.

"I really wish we would just play this as straight Bermuda," Horschel said at last year's event. "From tee to green, everything Bermuda.

"I know it doesn't look pretty on TV and that's one of the reasons why it's overseeded.

"It's just a little disappointing because its such a great test of golf. If you had Bermuda rough and Bermuda fairways and if you missed the green you had to chip it off Bermuda instead of overseeded rye, it makes it a little bit tougher."

Shane Lowry can testify to that, as he admits struggling to chip on straight Bermuda when he first started playing at PGA National.

"When I played the old Honda Classic as it was back when I started playing here, I couldn't figure out how to chip around these greens. I wish it was overseeded back then," said Lowry.

Lowry loves golf in Florida, where he now resides, but feels PGA National would be better without the overseeding and playing harder as it has done in previous years.

"It's probably going to play easier than that, which I don't like," added Lowry. "I'd prefer to see it - look, I'm a member of a few courses down here, and all Bermuda, and the golf courses this time of year are incredible. The Bermuda golf courses down here are unbelievable.

"I feel like it's going to look great on TV. It's going to be lovely and green. It's going to be amazing. But I probably would like to see a bit more of the old traditional setup. It is what it is this week, and you just have to deal with the cards you're given."

'It's not a cakewalk' at PGA National

As always there are differing opinions with golf course setups, and Ryan Gerard, who is the highest ranked player in the field this week, says PGA National will at least be tougher than last year.

"There's been a lot of cold weather here recently, so all the Bermuda is a little dormant, and the greens are really running probably faster and significantly firmer than they've been in the last few years," said Gerard. "That ryegrass that's overseeded has really taken hold.

"It's firm throughout, especially in the rough, but it's juicy. It's not a cakewalk. You're not going to be able to just hit it in there and hack it out.

"Most of the time you're going to have to hit good shots, and if you're hitting a shot from that thick stuff into the green, you have to be very precise because there's an opportunity for it to just start bounding over the back of the green."

In general, most players seemingly agree with Joel Dahmen's thoughts from last year, who simply said: "I miss the old PGA National."

Rory McIlroy's golf balls were up the creek - Dubai Creek - without a paddle as he stuck four of them in the water during a difficult second round on Friday.

McIlroy followed an opening 66 with an error-strewn 74 to drop out of the lead at the Dubai Invitational - where playing partner and best buddy Shane Lowry now shares the lead after shooting 68.

It was a much tougher day in Dubai due to the blustery winds blowing down around the UAE, resulting in McIlroy becoming all too familiar with taking a penalty drop, needing four of them - and only narrowly avoided making it five as he had to play a shot from the rocks at 18.

Three of McIlroy's four visits to the water cost him a bogey, but he scrambled pretty well and made some big putts to limit the damage to just three over as he slipped back into a tie for fifth.

It was an even tougher day at the office for Dubai resident Tommy Fleetwood, who shot 78 in what was his first round without a birdie or eagle since last year's PGA Championship.

McIlroy first hit the water on the sixth hole, costing him a shot, before finding the soup again on back-to-back holes at the 13th and 14th.

With 13 being a par five he managed to save his par, but he had no such luck on 14 as he made his third bogey of the day.

After rolling in a huge putt on 16 for just his second birdie, he found the water again on 17 but made a brilliant second-ball birdie to drop just one shot.

Amazingly he almost got wet again on 18 when his approach shot to the green landed in the rocks guarding the water, which even after a brilliant recovery saw him finish the day with back-to-back dropped shots.

That saw the Northern Irishman drop from five under at the start of the day to two under at the close - but still just three strokes off leaders Lowry and Nacho Elvira.

Lowry managed to handle the tough conditions much better, with five birdies and just two bogeys in his three-under round of 68 to give him a share of the lead.

"Very happy. It was hard. It was tricky," Lowry said. "If I play golf like that for the rest of the season in that frame of mind, I'll be pretty good.

"The first tournament of the year you don't know what to expect. So going out there in the last group now on Saturday is nice, and keep it going and we'll see what happens."

Elvira also shot 68 to join Lowry at the top of the leaderboard, with Marcus Armitage and David Puig in a tie for third.

Puig described his day as "one of the weirdest rounds of my life" as he made two triple bogeys on his front nine before storming back to go four under coming home.

His trouble included taking three to get out of a greenside bunker and overshooting the green after hitting three off the tee following a trip out of bounds.

Angel Ayora, one of our young stars to watch in 2026, is right there at two under after an eventful round that contained two birdies, two bogeys and eagle and a triple bogey.

The silky swinging 21-year-old is in a fie for fifth just three shots off the pace heading into the weekend.

Shane Lowry is one of the star names featuring at the Irish Open and, following his first round on Thursday, the former Champion Golfer of the Year revealed an equipment change to his golf bag.

A Srixon staffer, Lowry had been using a Srixon ZXi LS and a ZX5 LS Mk II driver recently but, at The K Club, the 38-year-old revealed that he had changed to the Srixon ZXi LS+, putting it in the bag for the first few rounds in County Kildare.

The move, perhaps, isn't that much of a surprise for Lowry, who has used and tinkered with various drivers throughout the 2025 season.

At the Arnold Palmer Invitational, the Ryder Cup star used three different drivers for three different rounds at Bay Hill, an event where he finished seventh but lost -1.153 shots in terms of Strokes Gained: Off the Tee.

Putting the new driver in the bag on Thursday, Lowry fired a three-under opening round, hitting 78.6% of his fairways which ranked him 11th in the field. He also averaged 296.5 yards off the tee, five yards further than the tournament average.

Speaking on Thursday, Lowry stated: "It’s a new driver, I am very happy with myself. I have been struggling to find the driver I love this year. And, yeah, that was good today! But it is only one day. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves."

Producing a one-under 71 on Friday, Lowry ranked 40th in driving accuracy and 51st in driving yardage, but his numbers were still around his season stats on the DP World Tour.

On the PGA Tour, where Lowry plies his trade more often, the Irishman has an average driving distance of 298.1 yards, which puts him 131st in the standings, and 82nd in terms of Strokes Gained: Off the Tee, holding a statistic of 0.085.

Lowry isn't the only big-named player to recently make a big change in their golf bag, with Ryder Cup teammate and good friend, Rory McIlroy, opting to swap his wedges.

Playing in a practice round on Wednesday, McIlroy was spotted with the TaylorMade MG5s in the bag, replacing the TaylorMade MG4 wedges that had been in play throughout 2025.

Featuring in a 46° (09SB), 50° (09-SB), 54° (11SB) and 60° (08LB bent to 61°), McIlroy sat in a share of third place after two rounds at The K Club, with the five-time Major winner firing rounds of 71 and 66.

Both McIlroy and Lowry have a busy run of events coming up, as the duo have committed to the DP World Tour's flagship event, the BMW PGA Championship, next week.

From there, both men will then head to Bethpage Black and the Ryder Cup, where Team Europe will look to retain the trophy on American soil.

The two-shot penalty that Shane Lowry incurred in the second round of The Open has become one of the biggest talking points of the championship so far.

The Irishman's score was altered following the conclusion of his round when it was deemed that his ball had moved in the rough on the 12th.

As a result, it meant a double bogey for Lowry, not a par. The popular Irishman, who romped to victory at Royal Portush six years ago, said it's "hard to take" - but what do you think about the incident?

Shane Lowry Rules Penalty: What Happened?

The 2019 Open champion found himself in the rough down the left side of the par-5 12th when his ball appeared to slightly roll back after he took a practice swing.

Video footage soon emerged (watch below) on social media of the incident. Lowry said he was told by an R&A official that a ruling would be assessed after the round.

It was later confirmed by the governing body that Lowry had received a one-stroke penalty for causing his ball to move and a further one-stroke penalty for not replacing it back to its original spot.

What Did Lowry Say?

The 38-year-old, who dropped to 10 shots off the lead after the penalty, said he would have called himself up if he felt he had moved the ball and said he was not "arguing" his case with the official.

"The last thing I want to do is sit there and argue and not take the penalty and then get slaughtered all over social media tonight for being a cheat," he said.

"I'm disappointed that they don't have more camera angles on it. The one zoomed in slow motion - they're trying to tell me if it doesn't move from the naked eye, if you don't see it moving, it didn't move.

"I told them I definitely was looking down towards the ball as I was taking that practice swing, and I didn't see it move."

What Do You Think?

You've been having your say on the Lowry rules incident on our Facebook page - and not everyone is feeling sympathy for the man from Offaly. Be sure to leave your view below in the comments section.

One reason for this is because Lowry took his practice swing quite close to the golf ball.

"The lesson to be learned is to take your practice swings well away from the ball," said one reader, who also added "a one-stroke penalty would be more appropriate."

"His practice swing definitely caused the ball to move," said another. "Club hit the twig that was in the grass and went under the ball and made it move. Clear as day on replay!"

"What truly stinks in a situation like this is a ball in the rough that moves like that almost never moves to a better position. It just follows gravity. Obviously unintentional and probably not even noticed by the player," someone else commented.

If you watch the clip above, you can clearly see the ball move - that's not really up for debate.

However, a lot of people have been pointing to the use of the camera that picked up the movement - and this is where Lowry is receiving some sympathy.

"He did the honorable thing after the R&A bullied and gaslit him with ultra HD 5k zoomed in ultra slow motion video."

"Trial by tv. Grossly unfair unless the whole field are subject to this VAR type of forensic examination," another reader commented. "We have managed up until now with players integrity and honesty. Yes it is interesting to have these close up HD coverage but that is all it should be, interesting, not damning."

"Not fair they caught it on camera when not everyone playing gets scrutinized like that with HD coverage of every shot," another reader said.

"No human would have seen that with naked eye. I have 20-15 vision and had to watch 3 times and zoom on the video to see it move less than a hair."

"He did not know it moved when he took his practice swing," said another reader. "I saw it live and his head was looking upwards after he swung when the ball moved.

"It was one of those calls that if the HD camera was not following this Super Group, it would have gone unnoticed. He was not looking to get away with anything, it just would have been unnoticed."

The Irishman's playing partner, Scottie Scheffler, who ended up finishing 10 shots ahead, said Lowry "handled it really well".

Most readers agree.

"It moved and it was his practice swing that caused it to move," said one reader. "Although unintentional and harsh, it was the right ruling. Good for him to accept it with class."

Shane Lowry has received a two-stroke penalty for causing his ball to move in the rough during the second round of the 2025 Open.

The 2019 Open champion was in the rough down the left of the par-5 12th when his ball appeared to slightly roll back after taking a practice swing.

Video footage emerged on social media of the incident, with Lowry said to have been told by an R&A official that a ruling would be assessed after the round.

It was confirmed by the R&A that Lowry had received a one-stroke penalty for causing his ball to move and a further one-stroke penalty for not replacing it back to its original spot.

Shane Lowry ruling: R&A statement

During Round Two, Shane Lowry’s ball was seen to have moved while he was taking a practice swing for his second shot from the rough at the 12th hole.

The Rules require three things to be assessed in such situations:

1. Did the ball leave its original position and come to rest on another spot?

2. Was the ball’s movement to another spot discernible to the naked eye?

and 3. If the ball did come to rest on another spot and the movement was discernible to the naked eye, is it known or virtually certain that the player’s actions caused the ball to move?

Assessing whether the movement of the ball was visible to the naked eye in such a situation assumes the player being in a normal address position for the stroke.

In Shane Lowry’s situation, the movement of the ball to another spot, including the movement of the logo, was discernible to the naked eye.

The naked eye test is satisfied whether or not the player was looking at the ball when it moved.

It was clear that the ball moved immediately after the player’s club touched foliage close to the ball during a practice swing and that the player’s actions caused the ball to move.

In these circumstances there is a one stroke penalty and the ball must be replaced.

However, as the ball was played from the spot where it was moved to, the player played from a wrong place and incurs a total penalty of two strokes."

'It's obviously very disappointing'

Lowry said after his round that he did not see the ball move and didn't fully agree with the ruling, but he accepted it because he didn't want his name to be "talked about or tossed around like that."

"Well, I didn't know anything happened until walking up the 15th fairway and then the rules official came over and told me that there was a possibility the ball moved on the 12th for my second shot," Lowry said.

"So I said - I've asked him, how many shot penalty is that if it did, and he said, two. Obviously then I feel like I'm on the cut mark then, which is not very nice.

"I feel like I played well on the way in and then obviously waited to see. I mean, yeah, I was in there with the rules official and wasn't arguing my case, but I'm disappointed that they don't have more camera angles on it.

"The one zoomed in slow motion - they're trying to tell me if it doesn't move from the naked eye, if you don't see it moving, it didn't move.

"I told them I definitely was looking down towards the ball as I was taking that practice swing, and I didn't see it move. But I had to take the penalty because - I'm still not sure, to be honest, whether it was or not, but I had to take the penalty because I can't have my name talked about or tossed around like that, and I just get on with it.

"It's obviously very disappointing. I felt like I played really, really well today. And yeah, that's hard to take. Look, I'll just have to dust myself off and get out there tomorrow and give it a go."

"Ultimately in golf it's up to the player, and I felt like Shane was put in a pretty tough situation there when they were zooming in on his golf ball," Lowry's playing partner Scottie Scheffler said.

"In the rough it's hard to tell. From what I looked at very briefly on the video, it looked like it was very difficult to see if the ball was moving - sorry. If the ball moved. The camera was kind of zooming in as stuff was happening.

"One of the great things about the game of golf is that you call your penalties on yourself. This situation, I think it was just - it was a very tough spot for Shane to be put in.

"He handled it really well. It's obviously very frustrating. It's frustrating for me as a competitor of his and a player to watch him after kind of deal with that because the last thing you want to be known in the game of golf is somebody who cheats.

"I'm not going to state a strong opinion here in the media on whether or not I thought he deserved the penalty, but all I'm going to say is it was a very tough situation."

Lowry's score on the par-5 12th was officially changed from a par to a double-bogey 7.

It means he signed for a one-over-par 72 instead of a one-under-par 70 and fell to level-par for the championship.

Watch the moment Shane Lowry's ball moves in the rough:

Shane Lowry reacts to Open rules penalty:

Lowry made the cut by two strokes and enters the weekend 10 shots behind leader, Scottie Scheffler.

With just a few weeks before the 153rd Open Championship at Royal Portrush, Shane Lowry has been back to the site of arguably his greatest achievement as a professional.

The 2019 Champion Golfer of the Year blew the field away six years ago to secure his one and only Major so far in Northern Ireland, over the border from his Clara home, and he will be desperate to repeat the feat in this season's Open.

His 15-under total was six strokes clear of Tommy Fleetwood and co. last time Royal Portrush hosted, aiding Lowry in enjoying a dream walk down 18 in front of an adoring and emotional crowd.

As the 38-year-old prepares to go again between July 17-20, he was recently afforded the opportunity to visit the unique Northern Irish layout and revel in the memories he made during July 2019.

Part of the HSBC Patron's Day along with LPGA Tour pro, Georgia Hall, the two golfers held a short-game clinic and took part in a Q&A session in front of multiple amateurs and a few celebrity players - including rugby union legend, Brian O'Driscoll.

Away from the formalities, Lowry was able to enjoy a sneak peak at the stage for next month's drama while also visiting a couple of key sites in the town.

In a post on X, Lowry posted two pictures along with the caption: "Little trip to Portrush to check it out before [The Open]. Course is looking great and everything ready for a big week."

The photos showed him stood on the 18th green in glorious sunshine with arms outstretched - much like his celebration after holing the winning putt in 2019, although in very different weather conditions.

Meanwhile, the second picture featured Lowry holding the same pose in front of a large mural on the side of a house. The painting is of a smiling Lowry hoisting the Claret Jug with Royal Portrush just about visible in the background.

The seven-time pro winner is back in the British Isles for the next few weeks as he builds up to The Open, although - for the second year in a row - the Genesis Scottish Open will not form part of Lowry's preparation.

Rather than grinding at the co-sanctioned event, Lowry explained in 2024 that he prefers to relax the week prior to the year's final Major.

He said: "I always really enjoy my week in Ireland the week before The Open, and I go around and play some links golf and hang out with my friends. I really feel like that puts me in a good frame of mind going into play a big tournament.”

Last year, at least, it was a tactic that worked to good effect as the Irishman led through 36 holes. While a Moving Day 77 shifted him in the wrong direction as horrible weather conditions set in over Royal Troon, Lowry battled on to finish sixth. In 2025, he will hope a repeat build-up leads to similar results.

One of the most entertaining players on tour, Shane Lowry's energy, charisma and competitiveness are just a few of the things that make him such a fierce competitor.

The only thing lacking from his repertoire is the ability to get over the finish line more often.

Lowry has only won three times on the PGA Tour since gaining his card in the 2015-16 season. The most recent success came at the Zurich Classic where he partnered fellow European and best friend Rory McIlroy.

The most significant though came back in 2019 when he won the 148th Open at Royal Portrush.

Heading into the US Open this week at Oakmont Country Club where he is among the betting favorites, Lowry opened up about his disappointment over not being able to get over the line as much as he'd hoped to in recent times.

Speaking to the Irish Times, the World No. 12 said: “I think it’s the best I’ve ever been, but I don’t feel like I’m getting rewards, to be honest, because every Sunday I come off the golf course, I feel like I’m after getting punched in the gut.

“It’s been a very consistent, very good year, but I can’t remember the last time I walked off the 18th green on the Sunday afternoon happy with myself.

"So that’s hard to take. But there will be some Sunday soon, hopefully, where I’m walking off that 18th green, pretty happy and pretty proud of myself. Hopefully it’ll be this week.”

The Irishman has already had a few near-misses this year coming second at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and T2 at the Truist Championship.

“Some people would say ‘you’re having a great year’, and I am, there’s no doubt about that, I’m playing great golf this year, but there’s one thing missing. I don’t want to win every tournament, just want to win one or two," he said.

The last time the US Open was held at Oakmont, Lowry held a four shot lead going into the final day. But, after a disappointing 76, he finished three shots off the eventual winner Dustin Johnson.

“I had an unbelievable chance (to) win the US Open that year. But if I didn’t experience that, would (I) have done what I did in Portrush in 2019? I wouldn’t give that up for anything. You live and you learn. I think I learned a lot from that day, and I think it stood to me over the last nine years," he told the Irish Times.

"Obviously I would love to have a US Open along beside my Claret Jug and, you never know, this could be the week that I do".

If this is the week that he finally gets his hands on the US Open trophy, then he we will have to overturn a fairly frank run of form in the Major, having not finished in the top 10 since that week nine years ago at Oakmont.

Shane Lowry's Last 10 US Open Finishes

• 2024 - T19
• 2023 - T20
• 2022 - MC
• 2021 - T65
• 2020 - T43
• 2019 - T28
• 2018 - MC
• 2017 - T46
• 2016 - T2
• 2015 - T9

Shane Lowry missed the cut at the PGA Championship and left Quail Hollow fuming at a piece of bad luck and an ESPN reporter.

The World No.10, who arrived in North Carolina with high hopes following his tied second finish at the Truist Championship last week, lost his temper on the course and later he let rip at someone who he thought became a "bit too involved" with a rules incident.

Lowry was one under for his round when a decent drive rolled into another player’s pitch mark at the short par-4 8th.

Unaware of what had happened, the Irishman asked for a ruling but was denied relief by the official, after which he dumped a short pitch into a bunker.

He took an angry swipe at the turf and was heard shouting "f*** this place".

Lowry went on to make bogey and his level-par 71 wasn't good enough to secure him a weekend tee time.

"You hit a lovely tee shot and you're not expecting that," he said of his ball ending up in another player’s pitch mark," he told the Irish Independent.

Under Rule 16.3 you are permitted relief from an embedded lie only when your ball has settled in its own pitch mark, although this wasn't really what Lowry had a problem with.

Asked about his bad break, Lowry said, per the Irish Independent: "It was just that the ESPN guy was a bit too in there involved when he wasn't asked to be and that's what annoyed me a lot.

"I was just asking the referee and the ESPN guy comes straight over and he's like, ‘That’s not your pitch mark’. And I'm like, ‘That's not for you to talk about'. That's for me to call a rules official and decide what happens.

"I just said, the rules official, what happens to the guy at 7:10 who's not on ESPN Live? I guarantee you he's down there arguing that’s his pitch mark.

"I don't want a drop because it's not my pitch mark. But I'm just saying. And it goes back to (the fact that) I had a lot of mud balls again today.

"It looks like a fresh pitch mark that I was in, but it also looked like there's a fresh one beside it.

Lowry, who became agitated at The Masters last month when he was immediately asked about Rory McIlroy following his disappointing finish to the third round, added: "I wasn't arguing that it was my pitch mark.

"I was trying to be 100 per cent, because imagine if I had to come in and all of a sudden somebody told me that was your pitch mark and there's this one guy whose producers tell him it isn’t?

"So you need to be just careful about what you're doing, because there's so much at stake."

That dramatic late three-putt on the 18th green cost Shane Lowry the chance to win the Truist Championship - and also cost him $400,000 in prize money.

Lowry turned down all media requests after missing out on winning the PGA Tour's Signature Event at Philadelphia Cricket Club's Wissahickon Course, with the disappointment etched all over his face as he left the 18th green.

All of that agony was down to Lowry missing out on a first individual PGA Tour title since 2015 and not the money, but it was a costly error in more ways than one.

As that bogey on the final hole dropped Lowry from solo second into a tie alongside Justin Thomas - so instead of winning $2.16m, Lowry instead took home $1.76m, which is still nothing to be too sad about.

Signature Events such as the Truist Championship have huge prize funds to them, with champion Sepp Straka winning a whopping $3.6m first prize.

There was $2.16m on the table for second place and $1.36m for third, so with Lowry and Thomas tied those two amounts were added together and shared between them.

It was still a massive payday for the 2019 Open champion, but one that could have been $400,000 better off just by making one extra putt.

But it was missing out on the trophy, and the manner in which he missed out, that will disappoint Lowry more heading into the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.

A bogey at the 16th for Lowry dropped him out of the lead, so he stood on the 18th tee with European Ryder Cup teammate Straka leading by a shot.

Straka found the bunker but played a fine escape to find the green, but Lowry was closer and had 20 feet to force a playoff.

However, he hammered his initial effort past the hole and then missed the return, finishing what was otherwise a superb effort in frustraing fashion - especially with the second Major of the season coming up.

Lowry could be seen muttering to himself and grimacing before Straka holed the winning putt, and although he graciously gave the Austran a big hug of congratulations, he was in no mood to discuss the near miss with the media.

Shane Lowry declined to talk to the media after his disappointing finish to the Truist Championship, where the 54-hole leader bogeyed two of the last three holes to end the week two shots back in a tie for second.

The Irishman was well placed to claim a first solo victory on the PGA Tour since winning The Open in 2019, but he gave his European Ryder Cup teammate Sepp Straka the initiative when he missed a five-foot putt for par on the 16th.

The disappointment was obvious when Lowry three-putted the final hole at Philadelphia Cricket Club’s Wissahickon Course, and he had no intention of hanging around to discuss it.

It has become somewhat of a trend for players to skip their post-round interviews in recent times.

Rory McIlroy was quick to leave Pinehurst last year after his heartbreaking finish at the US Open, and Collin Morikawa did the same after missing a great chance to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.

Lowry’s decision to give the media a swerve does not come as a surprise, not when you consider what he had to say at The Masters in April, when he made two late bogeys in the third round.

Afterwards, he was asked for his thoughts on Rory McIlroy, who was on track to finally win the career Grand Slam at Augusta.

“No. No, I'm not going to stand here and talk about Rory for 10 minutes. I'm trying to win the tournament, as well,” he said.

“I know that's what you all want me to talk about, but I've just had a s*** finish, I've got a chance to win the Masters tomorrow, and I'm going to go hit some balls.”

He added: “We talk about Collin Morikawa a few weeks ago. I think we need time. I think I need a half-an-hour now to sit there and gather my thoughts.

“I can't be coming to talk to you guys straightaway. It shouldn't be happening. I don't agree with it.

“Tennis players have to talk to the media, but they have a half-an-hour or hour before they have to do it. I feel like we should have the same thing. That's how I feel.

“I'm probably going to say something stupid. I probably already have said something stupid because I'm pissed off right now. I'm just going to leave, okay?”

At The Players Championship, Morikawa hit back at members of the media who criticized his decision to snub reporters after failing to close out Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The two-time Major champion told reporters he was “just p*****” and “didn't want to talk to anyone”, before adding he didn't “owe anyone anything”.

As Rory McIlroy returns to action following his Masters triumph, he explained the tactics he and Shane Lowry would employ during foursomes action at the Zurich Classic.

The alternate shot format of the game has always been seen as the toughest, and it also has the added unique problem of a pairing that uses different golf balls having to decide which one to play with.

Gone are the days when teams have to use the same ball for the entire round in foursomes, as a different ball can be used for each hole - but there are still some tactics to be carefully worked out.

McIlroy and Lowry worked it out perfectly last year as they won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans trophy - and the new Masters champion explained their thinking ahead of their title defence.

"I’d say we’ll probably just do the same thing as we did last year," said McIlroy. "If Shane is hitting the approach into the green, I’ll probably hit his golf ball off the tee, and then vice versa, he’ll hit my golf ball off the tee if I’m hitting the approach."

McIlroy made a big golf ball switch just before his victory at Pebble Beach this year - moving to the TaylorMade TP5 from the 2024 version of the TP5x in a move that helped him eventually win The Masters.

Lowry plays the Srixon Z-Star XV, and the two have had a testing session at home in Florida before heading out to New Orleans for the Zurich Classic.

Lowry says that hitting driver with each other's golf ball is no real issue, so the aim is to have their own ball for when hitting approach shots into the green.

"We did some testing yesterday morning back home when we delayed our trip," said Lowry.

"I went down to the range, and we both practice at the same place so both our golf balls are there, and we did some testing and they’re pretty similar.

"We could either use either-or’s, but it’s foursomes - like we played a lot of foursomes growing up, obviously Ryder Cups and stuff, so you kind of figure out how to do it.

"You drive each other’s golf ball and then - because driving is not the issue. Especially when it gets windier, the wind is swirling, you want to have control of your ball.

"I think we figured it out last year, and we’ll do it this year."

Pro golfers are usually ultra picky over their equipment, but not Shane Lowry at this week's Arnold Palmer Invitational as he has no idea which driver he has in the bag.

Lowry has been struggling with his driver recently so has been switching and testing different models - even saying he had as many as 15 with him in the build-up to the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

And the testing has been so hectic that even the man himself isn't sure of the exact Srixon model of driver he used in Thursday's first round at Bay Hill.

"It’s another Srixon one. I have no idea," said Lowry after his first round. "I had about 15 drivers on the range on Tuesday here, so no idea which one I ended up with."

From pictures at Bay Hill it looks like Lowry has the Srizon ZXi LS in the bag - which is one the best golf drivers on the market in 2025.

He still has a few problems off the tee judging by his driving stats in round one, but the rest of his game was superb as Lowry carded a three-under 69 to sit in T2.

Lowry lost strokes off the tee and was 40th in driving distance and T43 in driving accuracy during the first round at Bay Hill, but his iron play was spectacular.

The Irishman gained +4.134 strokes on his approach play to lead the field, and he was also handy on the greens with +2.284 strokes gained in putting - the 10th best mark in the tournament.

So it's clear that if Lowry can just find a driver that he is comfortable with then he's close to putting it all together - and he's doing his best to find one.

"I've been tinkering a little bit with drivers," said Lowry. "I think there's something wrong with the driver I was using last week for a few days.

"I used something different on Sunday and I used something different again today. So I don't have a hundred percent trust in that yet, but I did hit some really nice drives there towards the end, apart from 18.

"I'm pretty happy with what I have in the bag, I just need to be able to stand up on holes like 18 and trust myself to start it down the left and commit to that shot.

"As the week goes on hopefully I'll do that and, yeah, you never know where it will leave me."

Lowry says fitting in driver testing has just been one part of a busy time of late - including playing TGL and other commitments.

Those other commitments will soon take a back seat as Major season approaches, but Lowry likes where he is right now in terms of both on and off the course.

"Yeah, I haven't had much time to myself the last couple of weeks," Lowry admitted.

"TGLs, charity days, golf tournaments, yeah, but that's my job, so it could be worse, I could be doing worse things."

Shots have been fired already in the build-up to the Ryder Cup with Keegan Bradley's rallying cry from Full Swing going viral - and you better believe Team Europe heard it loud and clear.

Team USA captain Bradley appears on the latest series of the Netflix hit show after the Presidents Cup, when he issues a passionate statement to many of the players that will also form his Ryder Cup side this year.

Bradley was a surprise choice to lead the USA at Bethpage Black, but he insists he'll revel in being doubted - and going on his comments the one thing there will be no shortage of is motivation.

“We’re gonna go to Bethpage to kick their f***ing a**!” Bradley proclaimed in front of the Full Swing cameras.

“I’m gonna get criticized as the captain next year,” Bradley said. “They’re gonna underestimate me. They’re gonna doubt me. I’ve been doubted my whole f***ing life. That’s when I do my best work."

There's still a long way to go until the two teams lock horns in New York, but Bradley has already shown he will be as passionate as captain as he was when he competed as a player in the Ryder Cup.

And who knows, he could yet be a playing captain if he produces on the course this year.

Playing away from home in the Ryder Cup has become the toughest test in golf, and if Luke Donald's side were in any doubt about what sort of US squad they'd be facing Bradley has shown them exactly what they'll be up against.

And if the visitors needed any motivation of their own, then Bradley's viral video was just the spark to already get those competitive juices flowing.

“Oh yeah. We’ve all seen it,” smiled Shane Lowry when asked if he had watched Bradley's outburst on Full Swing.

“Obviously, I saw it," Lowry added on Golf Channel's Golf Today programme. “Look, they’re going to be fired up to go beat us.

"Keegan is going to be a great captain, and we’re under no illusion that [he won’t be]; we’re certainly not going to doubt him.

"And I’m sure Luke Donald is going to prepare his team as best he can, and we’ll give it a go when it comes to it.”

And it's not as if Europe will be timid in their approach in New York, as Rory McIlroy proclaimed that they would go to Bethpage and win even while celebrating victory in Rome two years ago.

"So I've said this for the last probably six or seven years to anyone that will listen: I think one of the biggest accomplishments in golf right now is winning an away Ryder Cup," McIlroy said. "And that's what we're going to do at Bethpage."

The PGA Tour's Signature Events don't just provide players with an opportunity to claim some serious FedEx and OWGR points, but also the chance to bank sizeable paychecks.

There are eight Signature Events throughout 2025, with one of those being the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and, on Sunday, one of the biggest beneficiaries came in the form of Shane Lowry, who not only managed to get up-and-down from 85-yards to secure solo second, but also add an extra $600,000 on his winnings.

Making a hole-in-one at the iconic par 3 seventh during his first round, Lowry found himself sat in a three-way tie for second spot at 18-under as he played the 72nd hole, with Justin Rose and Lucas Glover sat in the clubhouse at Pebble Beach following five and four under-par rounds of 68 and 67.

Pushing his drive into the right rough, Lowry was forced to lay-up into the fairway and, faced with 85-yards, needed to get up-and-down to claim outright second.

If Lowry made up-and-down he would secure $2.16 million but, if he didn't, he would secure a much more measly $1.51 million. Thankfully, the Irishman is regarded as one of the best wedge players on the planet and, after playing his third to five-feet, he was able to roll in his putt for a closing birdie.

Despite missing out on a share of second, both Rose and Glover can take solace in a share of third place and a $1.16 million payday each.

Finishing two back of his good friend and eventual winner, Rory McIlroy, who fired a stunning six-under 66 to finish at 21-under, Lowry had nothing but praise for his Ryder Cup teammate, who he secured the Zurich Classic of New Orleans title alongside last season.

"To come out here and kind of then go like, kind of go head to head with Rory down the stretch, it's pretty nice," explained Lowry, who missed the cut last week at the Farmers Insurance Open.

"The older I get, the doubts do creep in every year if you still kind of have it at this level when you go out there, but I showed even without my best stuff what I was made of today, I'm pretty proud of myself."

Returning the kind words, champion McIlroy also revealed that he was rooting for his good friend Lowry, stating: "Honestly, like halfway up 18 I was just rooting for Shane to make 4 so he would finish second on his own.

"It was cool to be able to have that and to share that with Harry (caddie) as well. There's a lot of people -- I'm the one that gets to come up here and do this, but there's a lot of people behind me and it's nice to be able to share it with them, too."

Most people can only dream of playing three of the most iconic par 3s in golf, let along making a hole-in-one on all of them, but Shane Lowry has collected the best three aces you could possibly imagine.

The Irishman landed the third hole-in-one of his PGA Tour career during the opening round of the Pebble Beach Pro-Am on Thursday - and making it even more sweet was the fact it came in the course's iconic seventh hole.

Lowry only deals in iconic holes-in-one, and adding the seventh at Pebble Beach to his list he's now bagged an ace on three of the very best short holes in golfing history.

As the former Open champion has also conquered the famous 17th at TPC Sawgrass in just one stroke, along with making a hole-in-one at the 16th at Augusta National during The Masters.

According to renowned golfing stats man Justin Ray - Lowry is the first player to ever make a hole-in-one on those three iconic holes during official competition play.

Lowry celebrated with same gusto he did with the other two iconic aces, as he completed an astonishing set of holes-in-one that's surely unmatched anywhere in golf.

With Rory McIlroy also making a hole-in-one at the Pebble Beach Pro-Am Lowry joked that he hoped his close friend would be out in the evening to help him out with the bar tab.

"School night, so unfortunately not for me," Lowry said on if the drinks would be flowing. "If there's a few people there at dinner, I'm sure. Hopefully Rory's there as well, I get to split the bill with him."

And Lowry, who partnered with McIlroy to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans last year, couldn't resist a dig at his old mate even after he also had an ace.

"Yeah. Slam dunked it, didn't he?" Lowry said of McIlroy. "Yeah, mine is definitely better."

On his own remarkable hole-in-one achievement, Lowry could barely believe his third on the PGA Tour came on yet another iconic hole.

"Look, when stuff like that happens, I've been very lucky with all the ones. There and Augusta and Sawgrass," he added. "Yeah, I don't know what to say, I guess it's just luck of the Irish or something, I don't know.

"I know I'm pretty good at times, but you know, a bit of luck every now and then is helpful, too."

Lowry added on Sky Sports that picking his favorite of the three was "like trying to pick your favorite child" and told his post-round press conference that if he could pick one more it'd be the other iconic short hole at Augusta.

"I was going to say 12 at Augusta, but I'm just happy with pars on that hole. Yeah, look, I don't know. Anytime any one goes in is a good time."

Shane Lowry's holes-in-one

2024: Pebble Beach Pro-Am - 7th at Pebble Beach in the first round.

2022: The Players Championship - 17th at TPC Sawgrass during the third round.

2016: The Masters - 16th at Augusta National in the final round.

Understanding how to play bunker shots effectively is a crucial skill for any amateur golfer, but so many are struck with fear each time their ball rolls into the sandy pit of despair.

Despite their being a wealth of brilliant bunker tips, sadly this area of the game is often neglected in player's practice routines, but with these expert tips even the most bunker-averse golfers will be racing to try them out.

In this article, Golf Monthly Top 50 Coach Tom Motley analyses the silky smooth technique of short game sorcerer Shane Lowry, and shares a few simple steps to improve your performances from the sand...

1. Fundamentals

The ideal ball position for a routine bunker shot is just inside the lead heel, with weight favouring the lead side around 60/40 to 70/30. Shane Lowry has talked in the past of how he has been guilty of sitting back at times, affecting his angle of attack. Note how he flares open his lead foot about 45° to help him pivot around the lead leg and retain loft through impact. Great bunker players release the club past the hands, which you can just about see here.

2. Keep It Smooth

Average club golfers get quite anxious about getting the ball out, leading to quick, jerky swings. Watch Lowry and you’ll see a lovely smooth backswing. Of course, it helps when you know you have the basics covered and can trust them. He also likes to picture his shots – a great asset when you need to get creative. He can soften his elbows for softer shots or open up his arms for longer ones.

3. Hone Your Strike

You rarely see tour pros make a poor connection; they’ll hole more than they leave in the trap. To develop your feel from bunkers, draw a line in the sand and practise hitting it ten times in a row with no ball involved. Just aim to clip that line, taking the same amount of sand each time – as a guide, 4-6 inches is enough. Then, try hitting a few balls. It’s a drill that ties the basics together and really helps boost confidence.

Oh, And One More Thing...

Like anything in golf, you need to practise to not only improve but also work out how to adapt to different types of sand and lie. So, the next time you head to the range, get yourself onto the short game area and specifically the practice bunker. Your scores will thank you later!

At Golf Monthly, we are all about helping amateur golfers to play better golf – so why not check out some of our expert tips from top players and legends of the game...

• 5 Timeless Lessons From Jack Nicklaus
• Jordan Spieth: How To Play The One Hop And Stop Shot
• Denny McCarthy: 5 Putting Tips From The Best Putter On The PGA Tour
• Collin Morikawa's Top Tips To Becoming A Better Golfer
• Rickie Fowler's Tee To Green Masterclass

Shane Lowry has been enjoying a fine run of form in 2024, claiming six top 15s in his last six starts, with his performance on Saturday seemingly continuing that trend.

Playing the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, the first event of the DP World Tour's Playoffs, the former Open Championship winner carded back-to-back 66s on Friday and Saturday to move two back of Paul Waring, with Lowry revealing some major changes ahead of the tournament.

"My game, like, I've been driving the ball really good. My iron play has been great. You know, I probably haven't been holing as many putts as I would like," explained Lowry, who won this very event back in 2019.

"I feel like I'm putting all right, hitting good putts, not missing the shorter ones. And I feel like, yeah, a few putts drop, I can be dangerous. In saying that, I've 12 new clubs in the bag this week... I have a new driver and new set of irons. What's going on before me, I haven't really thought about. I've just been trying to get used to this, and it's going very well so far. Hopefully it keeps going that way".

So, what are the particular changes to Lowry's bag? Well, beginning with the driver, Lowry has substituted the Srixon ZX5 Mk II out for the Srixon ZXi, a model that appeared on the USGA conforming list in mid-October.

The TaylorMade M5 fairway wood has remained, with Lowry opting for a combo set of the new Srixon ZXi 5 & ZXi 7 irons, which we first saw at the 2024 Procore Championship.

Along with the irons, the final change appears to be in the wedges, as the 37-year-old looks to have changed the Cleveland RTX 6 ZipCore Tours to Cleveland RTZ prototype wedges, a model that was spotted at the Shriners Children’s Open in Las Vegas.

Going into the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, Lowry tees off in the final group alongside Niklas Norgaard and leader, Waring, at 11.20am local time. The chasing pack includes the likes of Tommy Fleetwood and Thorbjorn Olesen, who are both 15-under, whilst Tyrrell Hatton, Nicolai Hojgaard and Robert MacIntyre are 14-under, four shots back of the lead.

Shane Lowry says that John Rahm is "an absolute animal" in the Ryder Cup, but is not sure even he warrants the rules being changed in order to make the team.

Rahm is the big talking point for the 2025 European Ryder Cup team, with questions over his eligibility since his switch to LIV Golf.

The Spaniard is looking to play the minimum four DP World Tour tournament he needs to retain his membership - and can now play in the Spanish Open after appealing the fines and suspensions handed out to him.

While it looks like Rahm will now follow the rules, there could still problems ahead depending on how that appeal goes - and the likes of Rory McIlroy have already said the rules should be altered to allow him to play at Bethpage Black.

But Luke Donald insists the rules will not change for anyone - and it's something Lowry tends to agree with, although he acknowledges what a tough situation it is with Rahm being such a key member of the team.

"Do I want Jon Rahm on the Ryder Cup Team? Yes. You know, should he be allowed to break the rules and make the Ryder Cup Team? Should there be exemptions made? I'm not sure. That's not for me to decide," said Lowry.

"But at the end of the day, we want to try to have the 12 best players we can next year in Bethpage and if he's one of them we probably do want him.

"I'm not going to make those decisions. I want to be there on myself. Rahmbo in the Ryder Cup is an absolute animal. I've seen him in two Ryder Cups and he's unbelievable. If there's only one person bigger than the Ryder Cup, I'm not sure. We'll see."

Lowry hopes to return to the Ryder Cup next year and says that making Donald's team is now one of his main targets for the year.

"Bethpage is going to come around quick," Lowry said. "I'd like to, I got off to a great start in the last Ryder Cup race; the first week I won. It would be nice to do the same and I obviously really, really want to be on that team. 

"That, for me, is one of the main reasons I practise and get up every morning is to do stuff like that. I would say it's probably the main driving point of my career right now.

"It's going to be hard, hard team to make, and hopefully I can do it and hopefully we can go there and win the trophy."

Shane Lowry is making the most of his Olympics experience, but he is determined to conclude it with the gold medal.

The 37-year-old, who will represent Ireland in the men’s tournament at Le Golf National, was one of three golfing flag bearers at the Opening Ceremony, but his attention has now turned to the opportunity to "redeem" himself on the course after a near-miss at The Open.

Lowry’s arrival in Paris came less than a week after he came close to replicating his 2019 Open win at Royal Troon. He topped the leaderboard after the second round, but his challenge faded over the weekend and he eventually settled for sixth.

However, he feels the chance to win gold at the Games is the ideal opportunity to put that behind him. He said: “Yeah, look, I felt I had a good chance to win The Open a couple weeks ago and I was really disappointed to not give it a better go on Saturday and Sunday.

“Straightaway after that, I sort of felt like I have a chance to redeem myself here in a couple of weeks. For me, look, if you look at the media and what it was like back home yesterday when Mona (McSharry) won that bronze medal, I think if I was to win a gold medal and bring it back to Ireland, yeah, it would be pretty cool.”

Lowry also reflected on his role as a flag bearer in the Opening Ceremony. “It was amazing. It was an amazing experience and something that I'll remember forever," he began. "Yeah, it was a big honor and when I got there and got to experience the whole thing, yeah, memories for a lifetime and just even being there and being around the other athletes, it was pretty cool.

“You know, to see the Olympics from there, it's something that when I was growing up, as a golfer, you didn't really think was going to be achievable. So yeah, it was an amazing experience.”

The athletes sailed down the River Seine as the world watched during the ceremony, and even poor weather couldn't dampen an experience of a lifetime for Lowry. He added: “Obviously the weather played a big part in the whole thing and we tried to stay a bit dry at the start of those but it was one of those, well, we're wet now, might as well enjoy it.

“As the boat ride went down the crowds got bigger and bigger and honestly was just soaking it all in, enjoying the atmosphere, and like trying to spot the Irish people in the crowd. There's a lot of Irish flags.

“Obviously when you get down past all the sites in Paris and then towards the Eiffel Tower, it's kind of a bit of a surreal experience.”

"I spent the whole day with Sarah Lavin [100m sprinter and fellow Irish flag bearer]. I got to know her pretty well that day and the story and what she's been through is nothing short of incredible.

"She gained a huge new fan that day and I hope to see her go on and do great things next week. Yeah, just see what people do and what other athletes go through is a pretty cool thing."

The men’s Olympics tournament runs from 1 to 4 August.

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy believes a gold medal at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games could well be the biggest achievement in his career since 2014.

McIlroy has famously not won a Major since lifting the second of his PGA Championship titles at Valhalla, going on to endure several heart-breaking near misses - including at the recent US Open when he lost by a stroke to Bryson DeChambeau.

The 35-year-old has claimed 17 PGA Tour and six DP World Tour trophies since, including three Tour Championships and The Players, while leading Team Europe to a trio of Ryder Cup victories.

Yet, the pursuit to add Major No.5 has been a forlorn one, not helped by falling short in a seven-man playoff for bronze at the Tokyo Olympic Games back in 2021.

But ahead of his third Olympics since golf returned from a 112-year break in 2016, McIlroy says his lack of gold-standard wins would make a medal at Le Golf National one of his great accomplishments in recent times.

McIlroy - who is representing Ireland at the Olympics - said: "It would be the achievement, certainly of the year, if not -- I think for me, it's well documented that I haven't won one of the 'Big Four' in 10 years. It would probably be one if, if not the biggest in my career for the last ten years.

"I've been asked this question a lot, 'where would an Olympic Medal sit in sort of the hierarchy of my career achievements?' And it's something I probably won't be able to answer until when everything is said and done.

"I think as golf is in the Olympics for a longer period of time, it will become more of -- I don't know if anything will be able to sit alongside the majors. We have our four events a year that are the gold standard. But I think this is going to be -- in time, going to be right up there amongst that."

Meanwhile, McIlroy's Irish teammate Shane Lowry said that going for gold at the Olympics is a chance for personal redemption given he fell short in his quest to secure a second Open Championship at Royal Troon earlier this month.

Lowry, who won the 2019 Open, said: "I felt I had a good chance to win The Open a couple weeks ago and I was really disappointed to not give it a better go on Saturday and Sunday.

"Straightaway after that, I sort of felt like 'I have a chance to redeem myself here in a couple of weeks.' For me, if you look at the media and what it was like back home yesterday when Mona (McSharry) won that Bronze Medal (swimming), I think if I was to win a Gold Medal and bring it back to Ireland, yeah, it would be pretty cool."

A sixth-placed finish at The Open left Shane Lowry feeling like a second Claret Jug has slipped through his fingers as he felt he "played unbelievable golf all week" at Royal Troon.

The 2019 Champion Golfer of the Year at Royal Portrush had the 152nd Open in his grasp when he led by three shots on Saturday before conditions got the better of him.

Lowry's third-round 77 saw him start Sunday four shots off the lead, and despite a rousing 68 on Sunday, that could've been a few shots better, he could not bridge the gap on Xander Schauffele.

Although proud of how he managed to respond to Saturday's huge body blow, Lowry lamented: "It wasn't good enough and it's very disappointing."

"There's no two ways about it," he added. "I'd a great chance of winning this Open and it's going to hurt for a few days."

Lowry is still keen to view the entire week as a positive overall, with the Olympics to look forward to in Paris, but his desire to win a second Major is clear.

"How could you not look back on it positively, a chance to win The Open?" Lowry continued. "Obviously the critics and whatnot will say that I probably should have won from where I was yesterday afternoon, but it's not easy out there. It's not easy to win tournaments like this.

"I did everything I could. Unfortunately, I came up short. Hopefully over the next five to ten years I give myself another few chances in tournaments like this and get one more.

"Like I said at the start of the week, all I want is one more."

Lowry on Portrush return

Lowry will be a star attraction next year at Portrush as he returns to the scene of his incredible victory - but for a long time he was the best player on the course at Troon and thought he'd be going back to Northern Ireland as the reigning Open champion.

"Honestly all week, the way I was playing, I thought I'm going to be going back to Portrush with the Claret Jug as well," said Lowry. "That could be pretty cool. I was very confident with how I was playing this week.

"I'm sure going back to Portrush will have its challenges next year for me with some demands and people are going to be talking about me a little bit more than they were in 2019. But, yeah, I'll go back, and I'll enjoy it.

"Who knows between now and then what's going to happen. We have a lot of good golf to play. Hopefully I'll be going back, you never know, as an Olympic medalist or a major champion or something. That would be pretty cool."

Paul McGinley believes Shane Lowry will "regret" the mild criticism he expressed towards the R&A's set up of Royal Troon on Saturday following the third round of The Open Championship.

With a six-over-par 77 in the books, which saw Lowry drop from the top of the leaderboard by two to four back of overnight leader Billy Horschel, the Irishman let out a little frustration at the sheer length of some holes while winds of 30mph were forecast at certain points.

Lowry said: "Look, I don't really know what to say. It was a grind. It wasn't much fun. Driver, driver into 15. 16 playing ridiculously long. Driver into 17.

"Then you're standing on the 18th tee wondering if you can actually hit the fairway, if you can reach the fairway, and it's 230 yards to the fairway. Bear in mind my driver pitched about 220 yards on the 17th hole.

"So, yeah, it's not much fun out there. Circumstantial as well, it's obviously very difficult. But you'd have to question why there wasn't a couple of tees put forward today, to be honest.

"I think 15 and 17 -- like 15 is 500 yards playing into that wind, it's -- yeah, they keep trying to make holes longer, yet the best hole in this course is about 100 yards."

But McGinley - who was in the field at County Louth Golf Club as Lowry won the 2009 Irish Open as an amateur with a helping hand from adjusted course conditions - did not agree with the Major winner's assessment and speculated that he would "regret" the comments after likely feeling emotional at the end of what was a tough day.

Speaking on Golf Channel's 'Live From' set on Sunday night, following Xander Schauffele's two-stroke victory, McGinley rejected the notion that certain tees could have been shifted up to counteract the stiff breeze players faced on the back nine in particular.

He said: “No. Nonsense. That’s links golf courses.”

McGinley went on to reference the 2009 Irish Open where tee boxes were moved forward at the start of the second round in anticipation of rough weather all day.

In the end, strong winds were only a factor during the morning as McGinley backed up his opening 71 with a very respectable 68, and all those in the afternoon section - which included Lowry - were left with a light breeze and soft greens as they picked the course apart.

He continued: “And of course all the tee boxes were moved up and guys ripped it apart. Shane shot 62 and went on to win. But that’s the luck of the draw, and it’s part of links golf.”

From the neutral's point of view, what occurred in the second half of the third round was ideal as it bunched the field up tightly going into Sunday and left almost a dozen players in with a chance of lifting the Claret Jug.

The groups going out late on Saturday averaged around 1.5 shots worse than the early starters on the back nine, with Lowry one of five golfers to come home in 40 or more shots. Eventual Open Champion Schauffele wiggled back in 36 (+1) on his way to a superb two-under 69.

“Yes, the guys at the end [on Saturday] got screwed, and yes, the golfing gods decided to shuffle the pack by making the leaders play in the toughest weather conditions, but that’s the perils of playing links golf and that’s kind of part of what you have to accept,” McGinley said.

“Shane will regret that comment. I know what he’s like; he was hot when he came off. He let a great opportunity slip to win this tournament, and he knew that. He was hot he had to do press, and he said things that I’m sure he has regretted because nobody loves links golf courses more than he does.”

It was a frustrating and painful day for overnight leader Shane Lowry on Saturday, as the 2019 Champion Golfer of the Year struggled in brutal conditions to fall back at The Open Championship.

Starting the third round, Lowry led both Justin Rose and Daniel Brown by two strokes at seven-under, with the the 37-year-old looking to once again excel in tough weather to extend his advantage further.

However, despite a solid start, it was the iconic Postage Stamp that started a downward spiral for Lowry, as a double bogey at the par 3 meant a painful finish over the remaining holes, especially with 25mph wind and rain thrown in.

"Yeah, it was hard. Yeah, playing a par-3 hitting drivers is not much crack. Roll the ball back, huh?" joked Lowry, who is now one-under and three back of American, Billy Horschel, following his six-over-par 77.

There's no denying that the morning wave had the best of the weather on Saturday, as the likes of Sam Burns and Thriston Lawrence made huge moves to sit one shot back of the lead. Certainly, for once, the weather actually seemed to follow the forecast but, according to Lowry, measures should have been made in preparation for it.

"Look, I don't really know what to say. It was a grind. It wasn't much fun. Driver, driver into 15. 16 playing ridiculously long. Driver into 17. Then you're standing on the 18th tee wondering if you can actually hit the fairway, if you can reach the fairway, and it's 230 yards to the fairway. Bear in mind my driver pitched about 220 yards on the 17th hole.

"So, yeah, it's not much fun out there. Circumstantial as well, it's obviously very difficult. But you'd have to question why there wasn't a couple of tees put forward today, to be honest. I think 15 and 17 -- like 15 is 500 yards playing into that wind, it's -- yeah, they keep trying to make holes longer, yet the best hole in this course is about 100 yards".

Despite the gripe, Lowry is just three shots back going into the final day, but will need a low round to secure a second Claret Jug. "This is going to take me a couple hours to get over today. I'm obviously pretty good now, but I have a job to do tomorrow and a similar chance to win this tournament," stated Lowry.

"Just hard because I felt like I played unbelievable golf today. Missed the first fairway and then didn't miss another fairway until 16. Hit some great iron shots, just didn't hole the putts early on when I had the chances, and then I missed a few par putts. On the way in, I felt like I couldn't make a par. Obviously it was hard. It's harder in that situation, but it is what it is."

Shane Lowry was involved in a lengthy ruling during round two of the Open Championship after hitting a wayward approach shot into thick gorse bushes at Royal Troon.

Lowry hit a quick hook straight left into the vegetation on the 11th and immediately dropped another ball down to play as his fourth shot. He hit a beauty up onto the green to set up a bogey-saving putt.

The broadcast showed him at the time gesturing to a camera operator, who Lowry believed put him off.

It appeared that his ball was gone but it later emerged that he called his dropped ball a 'provisional', which therefore means that if the original ball is found he must continue playing that. 

Lowry was clearly happy to go and play the second ball that he had stuck onto the green but a spectator had found his first ball nestled down in the gorse bushes.

"The chap who found it is feeling awful," David Howell said on the Sky Sports feed.

As Lowry's ball was found, he had to play that - and as it was unplayable he was forced to take a penalty drop. He had three options: 1) go back to where he played his original shot from; 2) take a two-club-length drop no nearer to the hole; 3) go back in line as far as he liked while keeping the pin and where the ball was sitting in line.

He went for option three and went back in line back into the rough to the left of the 12th fairway to leave himself a blind wedge shot as his fourth shot.

Lowry wedged it back over the bushes onto the front of the 11th green, much further away than his original dropped ball, and went on to two-putt for a double bogey.

The Irishman was two ahead at the top of the leaderboard prior to the incident, having made three birdies and one bogey in his first 10 holes. He dropped back to five-under to trail overnight leader Daniel Brown.

"I did the hard part. I hit my drive where you could find it, which is obviously a hard thing to do on that hole. I did a nice lie in the rough. I got a little bit distracted on the right just as I was over the shot, and I kind of lost a bit of train of thought," Lowry explained after his round.

"You're so afraid of going right there that I just snagged the club and went left. Then from there, I hit a great provisional. The referee asked me going down, did I want to find my first one, and I said no. So I assumed that was okay.

"Then we get down there, and somebody had found it. So apparently we have to find it then, or you have to go and identify it, which I thought, if you declared it lost before it was found, that you didn't, you didn't have to go and identify it.

"I felt like through that whole process of that 20 minutes, it was whatever it was, of taking the drop, seeing where I could drop, and I felt like I was very calm and composed and really knew that I was doing the right thing, and I felt like Darren [Reynold, Lowry's caddie] did a great job too just kind of - he kept telling me, we have loads of time. We don't need to rush this. We just need to do the right thing here. 

"To be honest, I was happy enough leaving there with a 6. It wasn't a disaster. I was still leading the tournament."

The criticism Rory McIlroy's caddie Harry Diamond received following the US Open was enough to make close friend Shane Lowry's "blood boil".

Such a heart-breaking near miss at Pinehurst No.2 led to all sorts of analysis on how McIlroy let a fifth Major title slip through his fingers - including whether he had the right man on the bag for the job.

McIlroy himself has defended his childhood friend Diamond, with whom he's yet to win a Major but has had plenty of other victories on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour and spent plenty of time as World No.1.

Some ex-pros and analysts pointed to Diamond's quiet nature and questioned whether he was a strong enough personality to help McIlroy when it really mattered in Major contention - criticism which has not gone down well with Lowry.

The 2019 Open champion at Portrush is one of McIlroy's closest friends on tour, and he was full of praise for Diamond - saying the criticism of the caddie made him furious.

"It makes my blood boil, to be honest," Lowry told BBC Sport NI. "They don't see how hard Harry works and how good he is for Rory.

"Just because he's not standing in the middle of the tee box like other caddies who want to be seen and heard doesn't mean that his voice isn't heard by Rory.

"When you get to tournaments, he's always there before Rory, he's always walking the course. He works harder than any of the caddies out here."

While there's not much Diamond could have done about the two short putts McIlroy missed down the stretch, a couple of club selections have been pointed to as decisions Diamond should have perhaps talk his man out of.

McIlroy's search for a fifth Major will have lasted a full decade if he doesn't win The Open at Royal Troon this week - and it remains to be seen how he'' react to that late stumble at Pinehurst.

Lowry believes the 35-year-old is still well capable of pocketing another one of golf's biggest prizes though, and believes Diamond is the best man he could have on his bag.

"He's the best caddie for Rory and I'll argue that with anyone who wants to argue it with me," added Lowry.

"It's tough for him. Northern Ireland and Ireland is a small place. I'm sure it's tough for Harry to go home and deal with all that but he'll be alright.

"That'll make the next one they get together all the sweeter."

Shane Lowry came within millimetres of becoming the first golfer to shoot a 61 in men's Major championship history after a stunning third-round display at the PGA Championship.

Lowry started the day eight shots back of the lead but surged into contention after a bogey-free round which featured nine birdies. The Irishman needed a birdie at the par-5 18th for a place in golf's history books but saw his effort drift just left of the hole.

Regardless, the nine-under-par 62 matches the Valhalla course record set by Xander Schaffele earlier in the week, with the 2019 Open Champion joining the American as the only other person to shoot a 62 in PGA Championship history.

"I enjoyed it. I enjoyed every minute of it, obviously," Lowry reflected after the round. "But probably the most disappointed anyone can ever be shooting 62. I knew what was at stake. Just didn't hit the [final] putt hard enough.

"Had it on a good read and [it] just broke away from the hole. Look, I went out there with a job to do today, and my job was to try to get myself back in the tournament, and I definitely did that.

"My plan was to see if I could get to double digits. If I could shoot 65, I felt like I'd be there. I'd obviously need another at least 65 tomorrow if I did that. But that's what I wanted to do. But obviously a few better is nice."

Playing alongside European Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose, Lowry stormed out of the blocks with four birdies in his first five holes. A great two-putt birdie at the par-5 seventh, followed by a 17-footer at the ninth, saw the 37-year-old cover the front nine in just 29 shots - the joint-lowest front-nine score in PGA Championship history.

But he did not let the momentum stall after the turn, guiding a superb birdie putt down the slope on the par-4 13th before rolling in another at the very next hole from over 32 feet. 

A superb approach into 17th produced his ninth birdie of the day and set up a look at a historic 61, but an errant tee shot up the par-5 last meant the three-time PGA Tour winner was forced to lay up and before seeing eventual birdie effort come up just left of the hole.

Having previously carded a round of 63 en route to winning the Open at Portrush, Lowry is now only the sixth player with multiple 63s or lower in men's Majors and hopes to use his previous experience to fuel a charge at a second Major triumph on Sunday.

"Obviously, you come here at the start of every major championship, and you know what it means to win one of them," he said. 

"I've been fortunate to do it before, and to win one is pretty good, but to win multiple, you're kind of a bit of a different level. It would mean a lot to me tomorrow. 

"There's a long way between now and that. We'll see what Xander and Collin [Morikawa] do on the back nine today first, and then we'll go out tomorrow, and I'll just go out and give my best. I go out and fight hard. 

"I've been in this position a few times before, learned from the sort of Oakmont and tournaments like that and brought that into Portrush, and hopefully, I can bring some of that with me tomorrow and just give it everything."

Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry won at the first playoff hole with a par to see off Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

Trainer and Ramey set the clubhouse target after a record-equalling nine-under-par round of 63 in foursomes for a -25 total, with overnight leaders Zac Blair and Patrick Fishburn unable to match it after a double bogey on the par 3 17th.

But experienced Irish duo McIlroy and Lowry birdied the last to finish four-under and -25 in total as they set-up a play-off on the par 5 18th which they handled much better than Ramsey and Trainer, who bogeyed the hole.

McIlroy, celebrating his 25th PGA Tour win, said: "It feels absolutely amazing. To get the support and have so much fun, it has been awesome. It couldn't be better to have this man alongside me to get a PGA Tour win. I would say we are going to come back and defend next year."

McIlroy and Lowry each get 400 FedEx Cup points for the win and $1.268 million apiece. Lowry said: "Rory carried me a lot of the way. We have had the best week and anytime this man wants me to partner him, I would be happy to."

Zurich Classic Of New Orleans Leaderboard

• -25 RAMEY/TRAINER, MCILROY/LOWRY
• -24 BREHM/HUBBARD
• -23 HIGGO/FOX, STEVENS/BARJON, ECHAVARRIA/GREYSERMAN, BLAIR/FISHBURN 
  
  

Updates from...

LEADERS LOOKING FOR BIGGEST WIN OF THEIR PARTNERSHIP

Long-term pals Zac Blair and Patrick Fishburn are both are searching for their first PGA Tour titles and tee off in the final pairing in 15 minutes. 

FITZPATRICK BROTHERS MAKE A MOVE AT THE TURN

English brothers Matt and Alex Fitzpatrick have moved up to -19, and -2 today, with a birdie at the par 3 ninth to get to tied 14th. It is their fourth birdie but unfortunately the brothers have also had two bogeys. 

BIG-NAME PAIRING OF McILROY AND LOWRY UNDERWAY

McIroy and Irish compatriot Lowry were welcomed on to the first tee by some Irish music but Lowry has teed off with a fairway wood and missed the fairway well into the right hand trouble in the trees. They are already looking like dropping a shot.

LOWRY AND McILROY DROP A SHOT AT OPENER

Lowry and McIlroy's preparations on the range looked in sync but the Irish duo have bogeyed the first after failing to get up and down from about 60 yards. 

RAMEY AND TRAINER REEL OFF FOURTH STRAIGHT BIRDIE 

Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer have stormed to joint top of the leaderboard with four straight birdies on 10,11,12 and 13. They have a chance to post a decent clubhouse total.

McILROY AND LOWRY LOOK TO BOUNCE BACK ON SECOND

After dropping a shot on the first to slip back to -20 and into a tie for 11th, the Irish pairing have a chance to pick up potentially two shots on the par 5 second after Lowry fired in an approach with a 7iron after a booming drive by his playing partner. Rory leaves his eagle putt short but Lowry taps in for birdie.

NEW LEADERS AS RAMEY AND TRAINER MARCH ON

Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer are now clear on their own at the top after a fifth successive birdie. What a back nine they are having as they head to the 15th tee but the overnight leaders Blair and Fishburn have a great look at birdie on the second after Fishburn fired in a wedge so they have a chance to get to -24 too. 

LOWRY AND McILROY DROP ANOTHER SHOT ON THE THIRD

Things are not looking promising for Lowry and McIlroy's prospects with the duo going bogey, birdie and now bogey again. Lowry just missed a short bogey putt on the par three third to slip to +1 for the day. They finally make their first par on the fourth. 

BARJON AND STEVENS IN THE CLUBHOUSE ON -23 

Paul Barjon of France and partner Sam Stevens have finished with an impressive -8 round to storm up the leaderboard but their -23 total is unlikely to be enough.

FORECAST FOR 30MPH GUSTS OF WIND

Everyone is aiming to get into the clubhouse with a decent score with the wind picking up and gusts of 30 mph predicted. The Fitzpatrick brothers are -20 with four holes left and need a big finish.

BLAIR AND FISHBURN BACK INFRONT ON THEIR OWN

Blair and Fishburn have just birdied the fifth to get to -2 for the day and -25 in total to take the lead on their own once again. This duo don't seem to be going away. 

RAMEY AND TRAINER WILL STICK AROUND AFTER POSTING FINE TOTAL

Chad Ramey and Martin Trainer have a great chance to get to -25 after finding the par 5 18th in two. They miss their eagle attempt but have a short birdie putt for their 11th birdie today which they convert for a stunning round of 63 and a -25 total which belies their 134th and 171st positions in the FedEx Cup rankings. After their round tied the record in this competition, Trainer said: "It worked out great. Chad really did well with his irons and I sprinkled some putts in there." Ramey said: "We were firing on all cylinders and it was a great round."

BLAIR AND FISHBURN HAVE AN EAGLE CHANCE ON 7TH

What a fantastic approach from Patrick Fishburn on the seventh with a 250-yard approach to six foot at the par 5. They will have a putt to jump back to the top of the leaderboard. But they have to settle for a birdie after Blair pulls the first putt. 

McILROY AND LOWRY BACK IN IT AFTER SUCCESSIVE BIRDIES

Successive birdies on the seventh and eighth have got the Irish pair to -1 and -22 in total in a tie for sixth. McIlory teed up a birdie on the eighth with a monster drive at the 379-yard par four which carried 328 yards to leave Lowry with a chip from the fringe of the green. They have since parred the ninth.

BLAIR AND FISHBURN SET-UP LATEST POTENTIAL BIRDIE

Impressive approach from Blair on the short par four eighth with a wedge to leave a close-range birdie putt for his long-time friend Lisburn which they convert to take the lead on their own at -26 and -3 for the day.

LEADERS IN TROUBLE AT NINTH AS BLAIR FINDS THE WATER

Nightmare for the leaders at the par 3 ninth where, after just making a birdie, Blair has drawn his tee shot into the drink. Fishburn has taken a drop and Blair will have a putt for bogey which he misses as leaders drop two shots and slip to -24. 

McILROY AND LOWRY RECORD FOURTH BIRDIE IN FIVE HOLES

McIlroy and Lowry are now just two shots off the lead after a costly double bogey for Blair and Lisburn. The Irish duo have meanwhile birdied 10th for their third birdie in four holes. McIlroy's driver is dialled in and he is booming it to leave Lowry some short wedges, which is his strength as their approach paid dividends on the par 5 11th.

MCILROY SMOKES A DRIVER DOWN 12TH FAIRWAY 

McIlroy is really nailing his driver today and he has just fired another huge drive down the 12th fairway before Lowry cuts in an approach on to the green to tee up another birdie look from six-eight foot at the par 4 12th, which is 471 yards long. Rory's attempt, using Lowry's Srixon ball, slides by though and they remain one shot back.

LOWRY FINDS THE FAIRWAY AT THE 13TH

Lowry keeps his momentum going with McIlroy in this foursomes format with a good drive down the 13th fairway but they get a bad break as their ball ends in a sand filled divot which leads to McIlroy chunking his wedge well short of the green. However Lowry chips up close and McIlroy saves par. Ryan Brehm by comparison managed to drive the green at the 391 yard par four with a draw at the dogleg and he makes a birdie with Mark Hubbard to get to -23.

McILROY FIRES IN A BRILLIANT TEE SHOT AT PAR 3 14TH

Huge club twirl from Rory on the 14th after hitting his tee shot at the 193-yard par 3 to about five feet to give his partner Lowry a chance to put them level at the top of the leaderboard. Lowry's effort never looks like going in though as it misses by a good couple of inches on the left as the former Open champion continues to struggle this season with the short stick. But it is still a par for the Irishmen who are one back.

McILROY AND LOWRY ON THE 15TH IN REGULATION

McIlroy and Lowry have an outside chance of a birdie on the 15th after finding the par four in regulation after McIlroy fired in an approach. Lowry's attempt misses and it is another par.

McILROY PUTS LOWRY IN SAND ON 16TH BUT MAKES BIRDIE

McIlroy looks dejected on the par 4 16th after taking an iron for safety off the tee which he sticks in a bunker. But they will still have a look at birdie after a superb approach from Lowry. McIlroy then makes it with a 12-foot snaking left-to right curler which saw him fist-pump after they reached -4.

LOWRY MISSES 17TH GREEN TO THE RIGHT BUT GETS A DROP

With water to the left of the par 3 17th green, Lowry has bailed out right with his tee shot. He and McIlroy got a free drop after being impeded by a TV tower.  Rory has chipped it back on to the green but his ball didn't spin and Lowry now has 15-foot putt now for par which slides by.

McILROY BOMBS DRIVE AND CHIPS UP CLOSE TO TEE UP BIRDIE PUTT

With Ramey and Trainer in the clubhouse on -25, McIlroy and Lowry need a birdie up the last to force a potential play-off. An eagle could win it for them but Lowry has pulled his approach and missed the green on the left. However McIlroy has got them out of jail with a stunning chip to about three feet to tee up a potential birdie which Lowry converts for a -4 final round and -25 total.

SPARE A THOUGHT FOR OVERNIGHT LEADERS ZAC BLAIR AND PATRICK FISHBURN

Blair and Fishburn, who have never won on tour before, were the overnight leaders and led today at various stages. However costly double bogeys on the par 3 ninth and 17th have killed their dreams off. They came up the last needing an eagle to get in the play-off but missed the green in two.

PLAY-OFF TIME IN NEW ORLEANS DOWN THE 18TH IN FOURSOMES

Here we go then with McIlroy and Lowry and Ramey and Trainer heading back down the par 5 18th to play-off. Advantage surely with the Irish duo who are fresh off the course while Ramey and Trainer have been cooling their heels in the club house after finishing three hours ago.

TRAINER AND McILROY TEE OFF ON FIRST PLAY-OFF HOLE 

Trainer has teed off first at the par 5 18th and missed the fairway on the left. McIlroy found the fairway but his strike was not vintage. 

RAMEY AND LOWRY BOTH FAIL TO HIT THE GREEN 

Ramey has pulled his approach way left at the par 5 18th to leave a tricky chip for foursomes partner Trainer. While Lowry's approach has come up short and is in the sand. 

ADVANTAGE McILROY AND LOWRY AFTER TRAINER CHUNKS CHIP

Trainer has just duffed his chip and come up short of the green with his and Ramsey's third shot. McIlory has then splashed out of the sand to around six-eight feet and the Irish duo are likely to have potentially two putts to win this.

LOWRY HAS A PUTT FOR THE TITLE

Ramey and Trainer have played four and are about four feet away. Lowry has a 10 foot up hill putt for the title which nestles on the side of the hole but doesn't drop. Now Trainer has to knock in a testing par putt to continue the play-off which he misses with a push to the right. 

Shane Lowry says winning an Olympic medal alongside Rory McIlroy is "high on my bucket list" as the two look to claim glory at Paris 2024.

The pair represented Ireland at the last Olympic golf event in Tokyo, which was delayed a year and then held under Covid restrictions.

So the atmosphere at Paris 2024 should be hugely different, and that excites both men, with McIlroy admitting to being taken by the Olympic spirit even in those difficult circumstances last time in Japan.

Former Open champion Lowry and four-time Major winner McIlroy have tasted success in golf's biggest traditional events, but the Olympics is just something a bit different. 

Golf only returned to the Olympics in Rio in 2016, initially with some debate as to how high up it would rank in the pecking order, with Majors still obviously the pinnacle of the sport.

But as Lowry explained, once golfers get a taste of being an Olympian, it's very much something they want to try and do again.

"Obviously growing up playing golf, you never dreamed of being an Olympic champion, so when golf came to the Olympics it was kind of a strange feeling to have," Lowry said ahead of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans.

"But doing the last Olympics with Rory together in Japan, albeit it was a Covid Olympics so it was a little bit different, we both realized what it meant to go out and try and win an Olympic medal for your country.

"I think that's something that excites me and excites both of us to go back to Paris this year and try and do that.

"For me personally, I know to go back to Ireland with an Olympic medal would be like a dream. Yeah, something that is high on my bucket list for this year."

McIlroy agreed, adding why he felt the Olympic spirit was something special - after coming close to winning a medal in Japan.

"I was in a seven-way playoff in Tokyo for a bronze medal, and I've never tried so hard to finish third in my life," said McIlroy.

“Yeah, look, we didn't grow up dreaming of winning an Olympic medal because that just wasn't something that was on our radar.

“Major championships have always been what has been the greatest achievement in the game of golf, but once you're there and you get into that Olympic spirit, it really sort of - I don't know, something happens inside of you, and you really get a sense for what it means to so many people.

“As Shane said, even to just be able to call yourself an Olympian, but then if you were able to win a medal, that would be incredibly special.”

Rory McIlroy will make his debut appearance at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on the PGA Tour later this season.

The World No.2 is set to play alongside fellow Ryder Cup winner Shane Lowry at TPC Louisiana in the team-format competition between April 25-28. The Zurich Classic is the only team tournament on the PGA Tour calendar, having launched back in 2017.

Nick Hardy and Davis Riley are the defending champions after shooting a combined 30-under to deny the Canadian pair of Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor in 2023.

Lowry has played in the event four times previously, most recently alongside LIV golfer Ian Poulter during the 2022 campaign when the British-Isles pair finished 13th.

Reacting to the news of McIlroy's decision to make his Zurich Classic bow, Steve Worthy - CEO of the Fore!Kids Foundation which is helping to produce the tournament - said: “Both of these players have competed for Europe in Ryder Cup competition, so they are very accustomed to team play.

“It’s always fun to see close friends partner in our unique format, and with their experience they will be both fan and on-course favorites.”

Boasting five Major championships and multiple Ryder Cup victories between them, McIlroy and Lowry will hope to repeat their success in the most recent Ryder Cup at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club just outside of Rome, Italy.

McIlroy extended his overall points record to 16-13-4 from seven appearances - five of which were wins - after going 4-1 on home soil. Meanwhile, Lowry stands at 2.5 points from six matches over the course of two Ryder Cups - one home win and an away defeat.

They have only played together once during the Ryder Cup, however, and it was not a happy experience. McIlroy and Lowry were thumped 4&3 against Tony Finau and Harris English in the Friday afternoon fourballs at Whistling Straits in 2021.

When the pair tees it up in The Big Easy next month, both will have had their latest crack at winning a first Masters title at Augusta National Golf Club. Lowry's sole Major arrived at the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush while McIlroy famously only needs a Green Jacket to become just the sixth player in men's golf history to complete the career grand slam.

Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have produced some incredibly talented golfers through the years from Ryder Cup legends to World No.1s and multiple Major champions.

Similar to rugby, the island of Ireland is united when it comes to golf with both Republic of Ireland golfers and Northern Ireland golfers playing under the Golfing Union of Ireland at amateur level as well as in the Olympics.

Irish golfers have also produced some truly iconic moments in the game. So who are the best?

We have taken a look at 13 of them here, starting with modern great Rory McIlroy.

Best Irish Golfers Of All Time

Northern Ireland Golfers

Rory McIlroy

• Born: 1989
• Tour Wins: 37
• Majors: 4

McIlroy was tipped to be the next big thing as a youngster and he has delivered on that early promise in his career so far. Four Major titles, 24 PGA Tour wins, three FedEx Cups, four Race to Dubais and over 100 weeks as World No.1. He has played in six Ryder Cups for Europe, winning four times.

When his career is all said and done, he will go down as one of the greatest ever.

Darren Clarke

• Born: 1968
• Tour Wins: 21
• Majors: 1

A winner all over the world, Darren Clarke is considered to be one of Europe's great modern ball strikers. He famously won the 2011 Open Championship, where he saw off the challenges of Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson to win his only Major title.

He also played in five Ryder Cups and captained the Europeans in 2016. Clarke also won the 2022 Senior Open.

Fred Daly

• Born: 1911
• Tour Wins: 26
• Majors: 1

Fred Daly was the first player from either Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland to win a Major title and play in the Ryder Cup.

His Major win came at the 1947 Open Championship at Royal Liverpool and he also represented Great Britain that year too.

Graeme McDowell

• Born: 1979
• Tour Wins: 16
• Majors: 1

An 11-time winner on the European Tour, McDowell has several moments that have defined his superb career.

He won the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach, holed a crucial birdie putt on the 16th hole at Celtic Manor at the 2010 Ryder Cup which would go on to help Europe secure victory, and he also once beat Tiger Woods in a playoff to win the 2010 Chevron World Challenge.

Ronan Rafferty

• Born: 1964
• Tour Wins: 14

Another multiple time European Tour winner, Rafferty's finest career moment came at the 1989 Ryder Cup in which he delivered a crucial singles point on Sunday. He beat Mark Calcavecchia 1-up to help Europe retain the Cup in a famous 14-all tie.

The Northern Irishman won seven European Tour titles including the 1989 Volvo Masters at Valderrama.

Republic of Ireland Golfers

Padraig Harrington

• Born: 1971
• Tour Wins: 37
• Majors: 3

Padraig Harrington is one of Ireland's greatest players thanks to a resume that includes two Open Championships, a PGA Championship, 15 European Tour wins and six Ryder Cups (four victories).

The Irishman also won the 2022 US Senior Open following his Ryder Cup captaincy in 2021. Harrington is known as one of the grittiest competitors on tour with one of the very best short games.

Joe Carr

• Born: 1922
• Amateur Wins: 3

Perhaps a lesser-known name compared to others on this list, Joe Carr has a strong case for being Ireland's greatest ever amateur.

He won three British Amateur titles, was a semi-finalist in 1961 for the US Amateur, and was the first Irishman to play in The Masters. He did so in 1967 and played the first two rounds at Augusta National with Jack Nicklaus.

Shane Lowry

• Born: 1987
• Tour Wins: 6
• Majors: 1

Lowry turned professional after winning the 2009 Irish Open as an amateur, and ten years later he would win his first Major title at the 2019 Open Championship, which was famously hosted at Royal Portrush. 

The popular Irishman won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in 2015 and went on to win the 2022 BMW PGA Championship. He made his Ryder Cup debut in 2021, playing under good friend and European captain Padraig Harrington.

Christy O'Connor Senior

• Born: 1924
• Tour Wins: 65

During the 1950's and 60's, O'Connor Sr couldn't stay out of the winners circle as he eventually racked up 65 wins as a professional.

He also played in ten Ryder Cups, being on the winning side once in 1957.

He and Harry Bradshaw won the Canada Cup, now more commonly known as the World Cup of Golf, in 1958 for Ireland.

Harry Bradshaw

• Born: 1913
• Tour Wins: 18

Bradshaw won many times as a pro on the European circuit and in Ireland as well as the 1958 Canada Cup, but perhaps his most famous moment came in 1949 at The Open.

During the second round his ball came to rest near broken glass of a beer bottle but instead of getting relief he played it as it lied and dropped a shot at the hole. It would prove crucial as he tied with Bobby Locke after four rounds of regulation play and then lost in a playoff the next day.

Christy O'Connor Junior

• Born: 1948
• Tour Wins: 16

Another iconic O'Connor, Christy Junior is best known for beating Fred Couples at the 1989 Ryder Cup with his iconic 2-iron on the 18th hole at The Belfry.

He won four times on the European Tour, including the 1975 Irish Open and 1992 British Masters. He was also T3 at the 1985 Open.

Des Smyth

• Born: 1953
• Tour Wins: 26

A total of 22 years separated Smyth's first and last wins on the European Tour. His first came in 1979 and last came in 2001 which makes him one of three golfers to have won in four different decades. Mark McNulty and Lee Westwood are the others.

Smyth won eight times on the European Tour and five times on the European Senior Tour. He played for Europe twice in the Ryder Cup and had a best Major finish of T4 at the 1982 Open.

Eamonn Darcy

• Born: 1952
• Tour Wins: 16

Darcy's crowning achievement as a professional was beating Ben Crenshaw during the singles of the 1987 Ryder Cup which staved off the charging Americans.

He won four times on the European Tour, including the 1983 Spanish Open. His best Major finish of T5 came at the 1991 Open and he made four appearances for Europe in the Ryder Cup between 1975 and 1987.

Despite all of his successes, Rory McIlroy is yet to claim a Scottish Open title. On Saturday, following a three-under round of 67, that could all change, with the Northern Irishman one shot ahead of Tom Kim at the Genesis Scottish Open.

Carding five birdies and two bogeys, McIlroy looked calm and measured at The Renaissance Club as he tackled the North Berwick layout. Come Sunday though, there are a number of huge names in pursuit of the 34-year-old, including Tommy Fleetwood, Scottie Scheffler and Shane Lowry.

Beginning the third day, McIlroy led Kim and European Ryder Cup teammate Tyrrell Hatton by one, with conditions certainly scoreable and more friendly than some players finished in on Friday night.

Out of the blocks, it was Fleetwood who made the early charge, with the in-form Englishman carding a superb round of 63 (-7). Along with Fleetwood, Eric Cole fired a 64 to sit three back, with former Champion Golfer of the Year, Lowry, also finding a five-under 65 to sit in the logjam at 10-under.

Saturday was about McIlroy though and, through 10 holes, he was four-under and two shots clear of nearest challenger, Kim. However, a bogey at the 12th for McIlroy did cut the margin back down to one, with a birdie at the 14th and a bogey at the 15th meaning a one-over score over the final seven holes.

With the weather set to be... interesting tomorrow, McIlroy is looking for a second DP World Tour title of 2023 following his Hero Dubai Desert Classic victory in January. "It was another really good round of golf," stated the four-time Major winner. "Very solid. I feel like I've left a few out there over the last couple of days, but at the same time, at least the last few holes, it was quite tricky conditions.

"I played well. It's been a good three days and looking forward to obviously being in the final group tomorrow and seeing how my game holds up under that sort of pressure."

Padraig Harrington says he’ll change his schedule and play some events in Europe this summer if he’s genuinely in contention for being in Luke Donald’s Ryder Cup team.

The 51-year-old was Europe’s Ryder Cup captain last time out as Team USA earned a record 19-9 victory at Whistling Straits, but he could just be playing his way into the side to help avenge that loss himself in Rome.

The Irishman has been a different man since turning 50 and starting on the PGA Tour Champions circuit - already winning five times – and being sharpened up has also allowed him to compete well in the Majors.

And after shooting 67-66 at the Scottish Open, calls for Harrington to get a Ryder Cup wildcard will only increase – especially if he continues this form into the Open at Royal Liverpool.

Harrington was gearing up for the trip to Hoylake before planning to go back to America – but he’ll speak with Donald and if the skipper says he’s in the mix he’ll change his schedule to play some DP World Tour events in Europe to prove his worth.

“We’ll see more after these couple of weeks, but this is the best I’ve played these last two rounds, tee to green, in a long time,” Harrington told Sky Sports at The Renaissance Club.

“I’ve been playing better, getting better and doing things better. The Champions Tour has got me focused better and I’ve started putting better. 

“Now this week, with an eye on next week I was trying to get my head in the right place for next Thursday and I seem to have managed to do that a week early. 

“So I’m in a nice place, I’ll see how I play over the next two weeks then have a chat with Luke and if necessary I’ll change my schedule and come back and play a few in Europe.

“My intention was to go play some Champions Tour events but if I’m genuinely in contention then I’m prepared to make the effort and change my schedule and come back and prove it.”

Donald in all likelihood has eight of his team locked down with Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Shane Lowry all expected to play.

The four remaining spots though look wide open with a host of rookies battling it out – so Donald may well consider the experience of a former captain and three-time Major champion as a welcome addition.

After the 153rd Open at Royal Portrush, The Open heads back to the North West of England and Royal Birkdale.

It's then up to St Andrews in 2027 for another instalment at the Home of Golf.

Beyond that, it's not yet been confirmed which of the courses on The Open Rota will stage the 156th Open, or whether a new venue will be added.

153rd Open Championship - Royal Portrush (13-20 July, 2025)

The Open heads to Royal Portrush in County Antrim, Northern Ireland, for just the third time in July.

After a 68-year gap, the second staging of The Open at this venue was won by Ireland’s Shane Lowry in 2019, a hugely popular result for the home crowd.

The County Offaly native went into the final round with a four-shot lead, and although he only managed a 72 on Sunday, he finished six shots clear of Tommy Fleetwood.

In 1951, the only other time The Open has been staged here, it was Englishman Max Faulkner who came out on top.

154th Open Championship - Royal Birkdale (12-19 July, 2026)

The Open returns to the Southport venue for the 11th time and the first time since Jordan Spieth's remarkable victory in 2017.

The American picked up five shots in his last five holes after carving his tee shot onto the driving range at the 13th.

Royal Birkdale was founded in 1889 and was awarded royal status in 1951. Three years later, Peter Thomson won the first of his five Claret Jugs; he would also win here in 1965.

The roll call of winners includes Arnold Palmer (1961), Lee Trevino (1971), Johnny Miller (1976), Tom Watson (1983), Ian Baker-Finch (1991), Mark O'Meara (1998) and Padraig Harrington (2008).

155th Open Championship - St Andrews (11-18 July, 2027)

St Andrews will host The Open for the 31st time in 2027, five years on from when Cameron Smith putted everyone into submission.

From Tom Kidd’s success in 1873 to Smith's victory in 2022, the famous Old Course has witnessed more memorable moments than any other Open venue.

Players to have tasted success on the Fife links include Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Tom Watson, Sir Nick Faldo and Tiger Woods.

It was here, of course, that Woods clinched the first of three Claret Jugs, delivering an absolute masterclass in 2000.

Where will The Open take place in 2028?

Speculation continues to mount that Portmarnock could host The Open in the not-too-distant future.

The Open has never left the United Kingdom before, but the club, which is located on the north-east edge of Ireland's capital, Dublin, has long been tipped to host golf's oldest Major Championship.

As for 2028, could Trump Turnberry get the nod? At this stage, we can only speculate.

Padraig Harrington has been backed for a sensational wildcard to play for Europe at this year’s Ryder Cup.

Captain Luke Donald has six picks for September’s contest in Rome at Marco Simone Golf and Country Club.

Europe are bidding to wrestle the trophy back from USA after Harrington was skipper in 2021 in a record 19-9 thrashing. 

But Harrington, who turns 52 next month, has enjoyed considerable success on the PGA Tour Champions where he is seventh on this season’s money list with $1,136,136. 

He secured his fifth victory on the Tour last month at the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open and also came tied 27th in the US Open won by Wyndham Clark.

The Irish pro has played in six Ryder Cups and has 10.5 points from 25 matches. And former pro Wayne Riley, now a Sky Sports commentator as well as a columnist in Golf Monthly, thinks Donald should consider picking the veteran and pairing him with fellow Irishmen like Rory McIlroy or Shane Lowry.

Riley, speaking on the Sky Sports Golf podcast, insisted: “Let’s think about Harrington.

“He was top 30 in the US Open. I think it would be great. His experience in the locker room would be sensational. He is thrashing the ball and hitting it as far as the youngsters.

“The way he played last year was unbelievable on that Champions Tour.
“Imagine seeing him and Rory or Shane Lowry - you wouldn’t understand a word they said.

“I don’t think it would happen but I would loved to have seen it.”

Half of Donald's 12-man team will qualify automatically for the event through the standings.

He and American counterpart Zach Johnson have until Sunday September 3 to decide on their final picks.

There are expected to be four places up for grabs in the European team as Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose and Shane Lowry are likely to make it.

But recently Adrian Meronk, Sepp Straka, Ludvig Aberg and Rasmus Hojgaard have thrust themselves into equation too.

Aberg, a former amateur world number one, fired a final-round 63 at the John Deere Classic last Sunday to finish in a share of fourth place. He also impressed Donald by shooting 65 and 67 when playing with the skipper the previous week in Detroit in the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

Donald has admitted the youngster, who only turned pro in June, is firmly on his radar for September.

America are hot favourites but have not had Ryder Cup success on European soil since 1993.

Riley added: “Rome is going to be American-style golf from watching the Italian Opens there, just to get my eye in.”

Jon Rahm has been confirmed for September's BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, joining a stellar field that includes four-time Major winner Rory McIlroy.

The pair look set to headline a strong field at the iconic Wentworth Club, the home of the DP World Tour, at the European-based circuit's 'flagship event'. The Rolex Series tournament has a $9m purse and will also feature defending champion Shane Lowry.

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Rahm finished T2nd, along with McIlroy, over the West Course last year, where he posted a course record-equalling final round of 62 - albeit under preferred lies. He played the final ten holes in nine-under, closing with a 29 on the back nine.

Rahm and McIlroy ended one stroke behind 2019 Open winner Lowry, who finished at 17-under-par.

The 2023 Masters champion was also 2nd at Wentworth in 2019, when he played in the final group with eventual winner Danny Willett.

The 2022 BMW PGA Championship was shortened to 54-holes following the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

“I’ve come close to the BMW PGA Championship title a couple of times now, so I’m looking forward to getting back to Wentworth Club this season and aiming to go one better," Rahm said.

“Any time you have the chance to play a historic event, over a great course and in front of supportive fans, is enjoyable, and I’m looking forward to returning in September and going for another Rolex Series win.”

As far as interviews go, Ludvig Aberg produced a scintillating display in front of European Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald at the Rocket Mortgage Classic - to further enhance his claims for a shock appearance in Rome this year.

The 23-year-old Swede was an amateur sensation and no doubt on the radar for future involvement in the Ryder Cup, but the way he’s taken to life on the PGA Tour since turning professional may just convince Donald that he’s ready.

After a stellar college career at Texas Tech, Aberg only turned professional at the start of June, but has had two top 25 finishes and some stunning rounds that suggest he could hold his own against the might of Team USA.

It prompted Donald to take a closer look at him during the first two rounds in Detroit, and Aberg responded with a seven-under round of 65 which included seven birdies and an eagle in his first 16 holes.

Two closing bogeys were the only downside as he finished just a shot off the lead, but the level-headed Swede does not seem so surprised as he knows how good he could be.

“I know what I can do deep down and I know my capabilities,” Aberg said after his round. “Obviously that's what I expect from myself, but it's fun to see where that takes me and hopefully I'll be able to keep it up as well.”

Although he’s just on his third PGA Tour event as a pro, having played a few as an amateur Aberg is taking the switch in his stride.

“I've been fortunate enough to play a few of these events before so I've been exposed to this a little bit,” he added. “But I think just going back-to-back weeks is a little bit different from what I've done before. 

“It's just going to take a little time. I think being OK with being a little bit uncomfortable at times is going to be key. All in all, it's super fun. It's so much fun to play these events and I'm looking forward to playing a lot more.”

Aberg's accuracy would suit Ryder Cup set-up

Aberg was pinpoint in his accuracy, hitting 17 greens and finding every single fairway – which is something that will be key at Marco Simone Golf Club in the Ryder Cup.

“I mean, driver is one of my favorite clubs and I like hitting it,” he said. “Obviously you're not going to hit the fairway every time, but hopefully I'll be able to keep it up the next couple of days as well.

“I will say my driver worked very well today. I hit a lot of fairways. On a golf course like this you get a lot of chances when you do that.”

Donald has six captain’s picks this year for the Ryder Cup to sit alongside his six qualifiers – but we’re pretty safe in saying that Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Justin Rose will form the base of the side.

That leaves four spaces with potential Ryder Cup rookies such as Pablo Larrazabal, Sepp Straka, Adrian Meronk, Yannik Paul, Victor Perez, Jorge Campillo and Rasmus Hojgaard all battling it out for the remaining spots.

Aberg will not likely trouble the Ryder Cup qualification standings but he's eligible as an affiliate member of the DP World Tour - and winning the PGA Tour University gave him membership to the PGA Tour proper for the remainder of this season and 2024.

Many more rounds like Thursday in Detroit or a few more tournaments at the top of leaderboards though could just force Donald's hand.

Luke Donald is excited at how his European team is shaping up as he now starts to formulate a plan for his rookie inclusions for the Ryder Cup in Rome, which kicks off in less than 100 days.

It’s an exciting landmark for all golf fans, and the Ryder Cup captain for Europe is also feeling it as he teed it up at the BMW International Open with several European hopefuls in the field.

Donald was playing alongside Pablo Larrazabal for the first two rounds in Munich, while the likes of Adrian Meronk, Victor Perez, Jorge Campillo and Rasmus Hojgaard are all in the field and all thought to be in the captain’s thoughts.

And as the qualification process enters it’s most intense period, Donald says he’s really happy with how his team is shaping up, and in particular with how potential European rookies have been playing on the DP World Tour.

“100 days to go until the Ryder Cup, everything’s coming closer and more real so I’m excited,” said Donald as he teed it up in Germany.

“There are established players and players who have been there who are playing really well. Every week it seems like they’re up there consistently in the big events, against strong fields, playing really well.

“I wish that to continue and I think from the side of trying to fulfil the team and fill those last few spots, we’re looking for some rookies who are really keen to be a part of it.

“There have been some great stories and great victories from those guys too, so I’m really happy with where we are.”

Regardless of qualification, it’s a pretty safe bet that Jon Rahm, Rory McIlroy, Viktor Hovland, Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry and Justin Rose will form the base of the side.

Who will win rookie race for Ryder Cup spots?

That realistically leaves four spots up for grabs, with one possibly coming automatically via the European points list, where Yannik Paul currently occupies a spot on the team – although he suffered a blow when pulling out of the BMW through injury.

Of course, it’s likely one of the big guns pinches that spot with huge amounts of points on offer in the final Rolex Series Events and the Open Championship – so Donald will have to find which rookies will fit best.

He’s excited about his options though and the desire shown by his potential Ryder Cup rookies for Rome.

“I said from the beginning that I’m looking to see the excitement and commitment from these guys to be a part of that,” he added. “I’m very excited with how it’s going, how these guys are playing over here on the DP World Tour.”

Donald’s also smiling this week in Germany as he can have some valuable face-to-face time with his three Ryder Cup vice-captains – with Edoardo Molinari, Nicolas Colsaerts and Thomas Bjorn all around to bounce ideas off.

“It’s another reason why it’s important to be here. Edoardo is here, Nicolas is here, Thomas is here, we’ll be having dinner tonight to discuss stuff,” said Donald.

“It’s much better to be here in person having those conversations together. We can get through a lot of important information. Communication is invaluable and that will certainly be stepping up over the next few months."

Let’s look at how the teams currently look in the 2023 Ryder Cup standings, the pinnacle of team golf, being held in Italy at Marco Simone Golf & Country Club in Rome.

Team Europe, captained by Luke Donald, will host Zach Johnson’s Team USA in the showpiece event from September 29 – October 1, 2023, as the visitors defend the trophy they won so convincingly at Whistling Straits in 2021.

Let’s see how the Ryder Cup teams are lining up and how players can book their place on the 12-man teams for the 44th edition of golf’s biggest team event.

European team Ryder Cup standings & qualification

Qualification for the European team for the 2023 Ryder Cup started after the 2022 BMW PGA Championship on September 11, and runs until September 3, 2023.

The big change for this year is that skipper Donald will have six Captain’s Picks to make instead of the three Padraig Harrington had for the last Ryder Cup in Wisconsin.

Automatic Ryder Cup qualification will still come from two points lists, but this time just three players will qualify from the European Points List, with a further three qualifiers being the top three on the World Points List that aren’t already qualified.

Current Team Europe Ryder Cup standings

(Players in bold qualify automatically | Q = qualification confirmed)

European Points List:
1. Rory McIlroy (4033.5) Q
2. Jon Rahm (3417.23) Q
3. Robert MacIntyre (1743.57)
4. Yannik Paul (1652.9)
5. Adrian Meronk (1614.21)
6. Tommy Fleetwood (1534.37)
7. Victor Perez (1527.95)
8. Rasmus Hojgaard (1516.86)
9. Adrian Otaegui (1430.01)
10. Shane Lowry (1290.23)

World Points List:
1. Rory McIlroy (399.29)
2. Jon Rahm (392.72)
3. Viktor Hovland (321.67) Q
4. Tyrrell Hatton (199.17)
5. Tommy Fleetwood (180.52)
6. Matt Fitzpatrick (178.62)
7. Sepp Straka (144.46)
8. Shane Lowry (105.21)
9. Justin Rose (100.32)
10. Robert MacIntyre (92.32)

Team USA 2023 Ryder Cup standings & qualification

Team USA had six Captain’s Picks for the last Ryder Cup, which worked out rather well, so Johnson will have the same option this time around.

The American Ryder Cup qualification system comprises of just one qualifying list, with points allocated over a longer stretch of golf – with seven big events in 2022 including the four Majors having points attached to them.

Ryder Cup qualification points are then awarded at all PGA Tour events from January 2023 with double points awarded for winners of the four Majors.

Current Team USA Ryder Cup standings

(Players in bold qualify automatically)

1. Scottie Scheffler (27,617.735) Q
2. Wyndham Clark (13,738.920) Q
3. Brian Harman (11,100.539) Q
4. Patrick Cantlay (10,946.750) Q
5. Max Homa (9,638.764) Q
6. Xander Schauffele (9,450.269) Q
7. Brooks Koepka (9,421.145)
8. Jordan Spieth (8,188.332)
9. Cameron Young (8,127.308)
10. Collin Morikawa (7,683.230)
11. Keegan Bradley (7,642.974)
12. Sam Burns (7,334.703)
13. Rickie Fowler (7,116.241)
14. Denny McCarthy (6,761.272)
15. Justin Thomas (6,539.195)
16. Lucas Glover (6,341.609)
17. Kurt Kitayama (5,918.269)
18. Russell Henley (5,551.880)
19. Will Zalatoris (5,529.134)
20. Harris English (5,456.686)

Qualifying will end after the second FedEx Cup play-off event on the 2023 PGA Tour schedule, the BMW Championship, on August 20, 2023, with the top six eligible players on the points list securing spots on Team USA.

Johnson will then announce his six Captain's Picks after the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta.

RBC Canadian Open 2023 Live Stream

The PGA Tour heads to Canada for the RBC Canadian Open this week as Rory McIlroy looks to win the tournament for the third straight time. But there are a whole host of quality players looking to stop him including Matt Fitzpatrick who is looking to add the tournament to his RBC Heritage win from earlier this year. 

Leading the European contingent will be McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Tyrrell Hatton, Shane Lowry and Justin Rose, whilst the top Americans include Sam Burns Cameron Young and Sahith Theegala. In terms of home favorites, Corey Conners, Adam Svensson, and Mackenzie Hughes lead the way.

Finally one player to look out for is Ludvig Aberg, who is making his pro debut after lighting up the amateur circuit.

The venue is Oakdale Golf and Country Club and it is a first time host of the tournament. This is the 37th different course to host the tournament in its 117 year history. Below are all the broadcast and streaming details for the event.

RBC Canadian Open Live Stream: How to watch from outside your country

There are loads of easy ways to watch golf in 2023 including in the US, UK and almost anywhere else in the world. Below we have a full list of options but anyone away from their home country can still watch the action by using VPNs.

VPNs allow you to get around any geo-blocking and and let you watch the same legal, high-quality golf live stream you would at home.

ExpressVPN is one of the best out there. It's easy to use, boasts strong security features, is very easy to setup and is compatible with most major streaming devices, including the  Amazon Fire TV Stick, Apple TV, Xbox and PlayStation.

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US TV Schedule - 2023 RBC Canadian Open

All times EST

Thursday, June 8: 3pm-6pm (Golf Channel)

Friday, June 9: 3pm-6pm (Golf Channel)

Saturday, June 10: 2.30pm-5.30pm (Golf Channel), 5.30pm-7.30pm (CBS)

Sunday, June 11: 1.30pm-2.30pm (Golf Channel), 2.30pm-6.30pm (CBS)

NBC's Golf Channel will televise action during the week and CBS will takeover when the tournament heats up over the weekend. Bearing this in mind you can access the Golf Channel through streaming options such as AT&T TV Now and fuboTV.

AT&T TV Now starts at around $55 a month but does have a 7-day free trial. While fuboTV also offers the Golf Channel and 100+ other channels and also has a 7-day free trial.

We also recommend Sling TV in the US as well. At $51 per month, Sling Blue with the Sports add-on brings NBC and Golf Channel, and it is also half price for your first month.

UK TV Schedule - 2023 RBC Canadian Open

Thursday, June 8: 5pm-11pm (Sky Sports Golf)

Friday, June 9: 5pm-11pm (Sky Sports Golf)

Saturday, June 10: 5pm-12.30am (Sky Sports Golf)

Sunday, June 11: 5pm-11.30pm (Sky Sports Golf)

In the UK, Sky Sports should be your first port of call as Sky Sports Golf will televise action from the event. At the moment Sky has some great deals on Sky Sports for those looking to upgrade and those looking sign up to Sky for the first time.

You can get all eight Sky Sports Channels in HD for just £25 a month which not only includes all the golf action, but you can also watch the football, cricket, Formula 1, NFL and a whole host of other sporting events.

Australia TV Schedule - 2023 RBC Canadian Open

Thursday, June 8: 9.30pm-8am Kayo Sports (Fox Sports)

Friday, June 9: 9.30pm-8am Kayo Sports (Fox Sports)

Sunday, June 11: 4.30am-9.30am Kayo Sports (Fox Sports)

Monday, June 12: 3.30am-8.30am Kayo Sports (Fox Sports)

The PGA Tour coverage in Australia obviously means getting something great to watch early in the morning. As ever in Australia the most comprehensive golf coverage is offered by Kayo Sports where you can watch Fox Sports that broadcasts the PGA Tour coverage. Not only can you watch the action from Canada here, it has all the PGA Tour, DP World Tour events and the Majors. It also has events on the LPGA as well.

It of course also offers access to over 50 sports live and on-demand, with some its big name channels including Fox Sports, ESPN, and beIN Sports.

It's also fantastic value at either $30 for Kayo Basic or $35 for Kayo Premium. Basic lets you stream sport on two devices at once, while Premium allows you to watch on up to three screens simultaneously, so it represents great value if your household has different sporting tastes or you're splitting the cost of the subscription. There's even a free 14-day trial.

As ever, Aussies out of the country can access their favorite streaming service just like they would at home can use a VPN to watch their PGA Tour live stream of choice.

RBC Canadian Open Tee Times

(Selected)

• 7.33am - Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy, Omar Uresti (10)
• 7.44am - Matt Fitzpatrick, Tyrrell Hatton, Ludvig Aberg (10)
• 7.55am - Corey Conners, Nick Taylor, Tommy Fleetwood (10)
• 12.48pm - Sam Burns, Matt Kuchar, Sahith Theegala (1)
• 12.59pm - Adam Svensson, Mackenzie Hughes, Adam Hadwin (1)
• 1.10pm - Shane Lowry, Brandt Snedeker, Cameron Young (1)

We recommend VPN services in the context of legal recreational uses. For example

1. Accessing a service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that service) 2. Protecting your online security and strengthening your online privacy when abroad

We do not support or condone the illegal or malicious use of VPN services. 

Consuming pirated content that is paid-for is neither endorsed nor approved by Future Publishing. 

On Tuesday, the professional golf landscape changed drastically, with it being announced that LIV Golf, the PGA Tour and DP World Tour struck a historic agreement after over a year of division.

Following the surprising news, social media reacted heavily to the announcement, with Netflix's 'Full Swing' docuseries producer, Chad Mumm, revealing that cameras were indeed rolling when the news broke.

Taking to Twitter, Mumm, who has already dropped a few hints of what series 2 of Full Swing will contain, wrote: "You better believe we were filming when this broke. #FullSwing," with the producer then explaining that the timing of the news was a "good break".

Already, in 2023, we know that the second series will drop next year, with Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry spotted wearing microphones during the third round of the PGA Championship.

Along with the Major pairing, Max Homa was also spotted wearing a microphone during the first round of the Masters in April, with the American reportedly filmed during the 2023 Waste Management Phoenix Open, an event in which he finished 39th.

The first season of Full Swing debuted in February with eight episodes following some of the sport's biggest names throughout 2022. The show documented all four of the men's Majors and culminated with the PGA Tour's FedEx Cup Playoffs, an event which was won by McIlroy.

Although it's unclear as to what was caught on film when the news was released, Netflix certainly chose a good time to make Full Swing, with the rise of LIV Golf and the recent agreement only hyping up what is in store for 2024.

When it comes to golf tournaments, only the United States and British Opens have a longer history of being run. This year, the RBC Canadian Open has found a new home, playing at the legendary Oakdale Golf & Country Club for the very first time. While most of the PGA Tour star power has chosen to sit this one out with the US Open just around the corner, the field is headlined by Rory McIlroy, who currently sits atop the odds board at just 5/1.

Let’s take a closer look at Oakdale and who might give Rory a run for his money to bring this one home. 

Before we get into our picks for the RBC Canadian Open power rankings, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. With the offers below, you can turn $6 into $350 worth of bonuses, or you can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your 2023 RBC Canadian Open selections this week.

RBC Canadian Open Odds

RBC Canadian Open Course - Oakdale Golf & Country Club, Toronto, Canada

Just two years away from being 100 years old, Oakdale Golf and Country Club is one of the best courses in Canada and a diamond in the rough in the Toronto area. Rarely seen on the PGA Tour, this will actually be the very first professional event Oakdale has held, and it should be the world’s best tear to pieces. 

RBC Canadian Open Power Rankings

Rory McIlroy (+500) (Bet $100 to collect $600) For the best Rory McIlroy odds got to DraftKings

Though many generally consider Rory McIlroy in a “slump” he has a pair of top 10s in his last two outings. He’s also a two-time champion of this event. 

Sam Burns (+1400) (Bet $100 to collect $1,500) Head to DraftKings for the best Sam Burns odds

Sam Burns, one of the best ball-strikers in this field, has also turned in consecutive quietly good performances with a string of top 20s. 

Tyrrell Hatton (+1100) (Bet $100 to collect $1,200) DraftKings has the best Tyrrell Hatton odds

Talking about playing unassumingly good golf, Tyrrell Hatton has now rattled off five straight top-10 finishes. Outside of Rory, Hatton is arguably the most well-rounded golfer in this shallow field and has a real chance to do damage come Sunday afternoon in Canada. 

Matt Fitzpatrick (+1400) (Bet $100 to collect $1,500) Find the best Matt Fitzpatrick odds at DraftKings

Even after shooting a +4 to get things started last week, Matt Fitzpatrick still finished T9 in one of the busiest fields of the year. He is definitely in that category in a course that should be relatively easy for the world’s best. 

Corey Conners (+1800) Bet $100 to collect $1,900 The best Corey Conners odds are at DraftKings

It's hard not to show the highest-ranked Canadian some love here, and Corey Conners has been playing great golf as well. If the putter gets going, it could be his event to lose.

The PGA Tour heads to Toronto for the RBC Canadian Open at Oakdale Golf and Country Club for the final tournament before the US Open.

One player who will be confident of heading into the Los Angeles Country Club Major on the back of a victory is Rory McIlroy. Not only is the Northern Irishman ranked third in the world, he is also the defending champion having beaten Tony Finau by two shots a year ago.

McIlroy, who also won the tournament in 2019, has bounced back well after disappointing performances in The Masters and Wells Fargo Championship with ties for seventh in his last two starts, albeit despite a disappointing final round in The Memorial Tournament.

Could he be finding his best form just the right time, before his penultimate attempt of 2023 to claim his fifth Major title? We’ll know more by Sunday night, but there’s every reason to suggest that he’ll produce another strong performance this week.

Another player in the world’s top 10 is in the field too, the man who won last year’s US Open, Matt Fitzpatrick. The Englishman, who is eighth in the world, also produced a creditable performance at Muirfield Village, with a tie for ninth. After winning April’s RBC Heritage, Fitzpatrick will be aiming head into next week’s tournament with plenty of momentum too.

Brandt Snedeker won the tournament in 2013. The American returned to action with a T41 at The Memorial Tournament following a nine-month injury layoff, and he’ll be hoping to make further progress this week.

Others who will be targeting a victory include three more players in the world’s top 20 – Sam Burns, Cameron Young and Tyrrell Hatton. World No.26 Shane Lowry will also fancy his chances, particularly after his runner-up finish to McIlroy four years ago.

The tournament offers another chance for club pro Michael Block to show more of the form that saw him tie for 15th in the PGA Championship. He followed that up with a disappointing performance in the Charles Schwab Challenge, when he finished last, and will be determined to get back on track here.

Another player who made a big impression in a Major this year is Sam Bennett. The US Amateur champion tied for 16th at Augusta National and has since turned professional, with his first outing in his new status finishing with 63rd at The Memorial Tournament. Thanks to his US Amateur success, Bennett will also play next week, and he’ll hope to go into that tournament on the back of an encouraging performance here.

Other players of note include Ludvig Aberg, who has recently earned his PGA Tour card, local favourite Corey Conners, Tommy Fleetwood, who is 23rd in the world, and AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am champion Justin Rose.

Players will compete for a $9m purse, with the winner earning $1.62m.

Below is the full breakdown of the prize money and field for the 2023 RBC Canadian Open.

RBC Canadian Open Prize Money Breakdown

RBC Canadian Open Field

• Alexander, Tyson
• An, Byeong Hun
• Armour, Ryan
• Baddeley, Aaron
• Barnes, Ricky
• Bateman, Wil
• Bennett, Sam
• Bhatia, Akshay
• Blair, Zac
• Block, Michael
• Bramlett, Joseph
• Brehm, Ryan
• Bryan, Wesley
• Burns, Sam
• Byrd, Jonathan
• Carey, David
• Carrera, Luis
• Champ, Cameron
• Chappell, Kevin
• Cockerill, Aaron
• Cole, Eric
• Cone, Trevor
• Conners, Corey
• Cook, Austin
• Creighton, Myles
• Daffue, MJ
• Dou, Zecheng
• Dufner, Jason
• Duncan, Tyler
• Durham, Taylor
• Endycott, Harrison
• Ernst, Derek
• Fitzpatrick, Matt
• Fleetwood, Tommy
• Garnett, Brice
• Gay, Brian
• Gerard, Ryan
• Ghim, Doug
• Gligic, Michael
• Glover, Lucas
• Gordon, Will
• Grant, Brent
• Gribble, Cody
• Griffin, Ben
• Griffin, Lanto
• Haas, Bill
• Hadley, Chesson
• Hadwin, Adam
• Hahn, James
• Haley II, Paul
• Hall, Harry
• Hall, Ryan
• Harrington, Scott
• Hatton, Tyrrell
• Hearn, David
• Herman, Jim
• Hickok, Kramer
• Higgo, Garrick
• Higgs, Harry
• Hodges, Lee
• Hoffman, Charley
• Hojgaard, Nicolai
• Hubbard, Mark
• Hughes, Mackenzie
• Kang, Sung
• Kim, Daniel
• Kim, Michael
• Kim, S.H.
• Kizzire, Patton
• Knapp, Jake
• Knox, Russell
• Kraft, Kelly
• Kuchar, Matt
• Kuest, Peter
• Laird, Martin
• Landry, Andrew
• Lashley, Nate
• Lebioda, Hank
• Lingmerth, David
• Lipsky, David
• List, Luke
• Long, Adam
• Lower, Justin
• Lowry, Shane
• Macdonald, Stuart
• Malnati, Peter
• Martin, Ben
• Matthews, Brandon
• McGirt, William
• McGreevy, Max
• McIlroy, Rory
• McNealy, Maverick
• Meronk, Adrian
• Mitchell, Keith
• Moore, Ryan
• Murray, Grayson
• Nesbitt, Drew
• Noh, S.Y.
• Norlander, Henrik
• Norrman, Vincent
• Novak, Andrew
• Núñez, Augusto
• O'Hair, Sean
• Ogilvy, Geoff
• Pan, C.T.
• Papineau, Étienne
• Pendrith, Taylor
• Percy, Cameron
• Piercy, Scott
• Rai, Aaron
• Ramey, Chad
• Reavie, Chez
• Redman, Doc
• Rose, Justin
• Roy, Kevin
• Ryder, Sam
• Schmid, Matti
• Schwab, Matthias
• Shelton, Robby
• Sigg, Greyson
• Silverman, Ben
• Simpson, Webb
• Sloan, Roger
• Smalley, Alex
• Smotherman, Austin
• Snedeker, Brandt
• Stevens, Sam
• Streb, Robert
• Stroud, Chris
• Stuard, Brian
• Svensson, Adam
• Szirmak, Sebastian
• Tarren, Callum
• Taylor, Nick
• Theegala, Sahith
• Thompson, Davis
• Thorbjornsen, Michael
• Todd, Brendon
• Trainer, Martin
• Travale, Johnny
• Tway, Kevin
• Van Rooyen, Erik
• Villegas, Camilo
• Watney, Nick
• Weir, Mike
• Werbylo, Trevor
• Werenski, Richy
• Westmoreland, Kyle
• Whaley, Vince
• Wise, Aaron
• Wu, Brandon
• Wu, Dylan
• Young, Cameron
• Young, Carson
• Yuan, Carl

The 2023 RBC Canadian Open is set to get underway from a new course at Oakdale Golf & Country Club. We’ve only seen a handful of winners at this event since 2016, including Rory McIlroy, who leads all golfers in the field at +450 to win outright for the third consecutive time. It’s a feat that has yet to be achieved elsewhere this season, while no one has won the RBC Canadian Open three straight times in over a century.

McIlroy had a share of the lead at The Memorial Tournament last weekend before imploding with numerous bogeys down the stretch. He is equipped with some of the most potent skills, primarily his driver, but finding greens in regulation and putting have been weaknesses for the Irishman this season. This leads to opening up the outright winner conversation with other golfers in the field at this non-Designated event, scheduled one week before the season's third major at the 2023 U.S. Open.

Several English and Irish golfers are in the mix at the top of the outright odds leaderboard right now, including Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick, Tommy Fleetwood, Shane Lowry, and Justin Rose. Whether it’s due to their sharp irons, strong drivers, or precise putting ability, the RBC Canadian Open is a great opportunity for anyone competing in this field to rack up the winning purse, FedExCup points, and momentum entering the season's third major.

Let’s review the current betting odds, course overview, previous winners, and some relevant betting stats before digging into the top players to bet for the outright winner during the 2023 RBC Canadian Open.

Before we get into our picks for the RBC Canadian Open, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. We have teamed up with OddsChecker to ensure that you turn $6 into $400 worth of guaranteed bonuses, or you can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your 2023 RBC Canadian Open selections this week.

RBC Canadian Open Betting Odds

2023 RBC Canadian Open Betting Preview

Previous Winners

• 2022 - Rory McIlroy (-19)
• 2021 - Cancelled
• 2020 - Cancelled
• 2019 - Rory McIlroy (-22)
• 2018 - Dustin Johnson (-23)
• 2017 - Jhonattan Vegas (-21)
• 2016 - Jhonattan Vegas (-12)

Relevant Betting Stats

• Strokes Gained Tee-to-Green
• Strokes Gained Approaching the Green
• Strokes Gained Putting
• Sand Save percentage
• Scrambling

Course Layout

Oakdale Golf & Country Club will play as a par 72 at 7,264 yards. It’s a new course and the 37th venue to host the RBC Canadian Open. While there won't be near as many water hazards to worry about, most of the fairways are doglegged, with greens that tend to run on the smaller side of average. Dozens of sand bunkers strategically placed in the doglegged sections of the fairways and flanking the smaller greens means that ball striking will be the desired skill set to possess for players seeking red scorecards. 

Water isn't introduced until the 9th hole; sand bunkers and tall rough are placed at some of the most difficult breaks in the doglegged fairways, creating problematic lies for errant tee shots and approach shots alike. Of course, if the putter is hot, there will be fewer problems for golfers who are better at scrambling than finding greens in regulation. A lot of the par 4s and par 5s run shorter than other courses we've seen lately, but shorter length doesn’t always mean lower scores. Getting it up and down, manufacturing birdies, and achieving par breakers will be the recipe for success.

Top Players To Bet For Outright RBC Canadian Open Winner

Matt Fitzpatrick (+1400) (Bet $100 to collect $1,500) Head to Bet365 for the best Matt Fitzpatrick odds

I love Matt Fitzpatrick’s game and how it fits at a course like Oakdale Golf & Country Club. Fitzpatrick has four T10 finishes this season, including an outright at the RBC Heritage event a few weeks ago. Plus, he’s ranked 34th in total strokes gained putting, 32nd tee-to-green, and 35th off-the-tee. He has a strong driver and is a top-25 scrambler so he can get up and down with the best of them. Fitzpatrick logged a T10 finish at this event in 2022, so I like his odds at 14/1. Don’t fret over a slow start, as the Englishman tends to find his rhythm during the weekend. You can compare the best value on this Matt Fitzpatrick pick via OddsChecker.

Justin Rose (+1800) (Bet $100 to collect $1,900) FanDuel has the best Justin Rose odds

Another Englishman I like at this event is Justin Rose. We’ve seen the 42-year-old golfer dominate at times this season. He collected an outright win at Pebble Beach back in February, and his four previous finishes entering this event are T16, T25, T9, and T12. Remember, most of these came during Majors or Designated events, so in a weaker field with an extra week to rest and prepare, I love betting Rose’s outright odds at 20/1. Still, need convincing? Rose is ranked 12 in total strokes gained, 23rd tee-to-green, 20th approaching the green, and 31st strokes gained putting. I love a quality scrambler, which Rose certainly is, so let’s ride on his 18/1 odds before they shorten.

Adam Hadwin (+4000) (Bet $100 to collect $4,100) Go to DraftKings for the best Adam Hadwin odds

I haven’t looked at Adam Hadwin much this year, but I like the picture that the stats paint. The 35-year-old Canadian will be teeing off to attempt to bring the RBC Canadian Open trophy back to a native Canadian for the first time in nearly seven decades. Hadwin only has one outright win, which came at Valspar in 2017, so he’s long overdue for a win. He’s currently going through a bit of a rough stretch, with MC, T34, and T40 in his last three starts, but Hadwin is solid when it comes to strokes gained, ranking 39th total, including fifth in scrambling from the rough and sixth putting inside of ten feet. It’s a long shot at 40/1, especially since Canadians tend to come up short in this event, but I feel good about Hadwin’s ability to make a run this week. Sprinkle a bit on his 40/1 odds, and let’s see where it takes us. Check Oddschecker for the best odds comparison on Adam Hadwin to win the RBC Canadian Open outright.

Eric Cole (+7500) (Bet $100 to collect $7,600) For the best Eric Cole odds go to DraftKings

We’re really digging into the value of this slate by recommending Eric Cole at 90/1 odds. The 34-year-old has not won a PGA Tour event since turning pro in 2009, but Cole is heating up with a few T25 finishes in his last couple of outings. I like Cole for his game and how it aligns with the potential rigors of Oakdale. He’s ranked 31st in total strokes gained, including 25th around the green and 28th strokes gained putting. While Cole’s driver tends to be a liability, along with finding greens in regulation, he ranks 17th in scrambling, so he can make up for a bad approach shot with a nice short game workaround and on the greens. We saw Kurt Kitayama earn his first outright win at a similar number earlier this year in a Designated event, so it’s not crazy to sprinkle on Cole’s generous 75/1 outright odds ahead of Thursday’s opening round.  

The PGA Tour heads north to Canada for the RBC Canadian Open, which was first played in 1904, and has been the longest running tournament outside of the Open Championship and U.S. Open. The Canadian Open is a tournament with a ton of history, and it has been won by the likes of Walter Hagen, Sam Snead, Byron Nelson, Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman, Vijay Singh, Tiger Woods, and Rory McIlroy, amongst others. The event has moved around on the schedule a fair amount before settling in early June, prior to the U.S. Open. 

It has moved around to a number of different golf courses as well, and has been hosted at Royal Montreal, Toronto Golf Club, Glen Abbey, Hamilton Golf Club, and most recently, St. George’s Golf and Country Club. We will however be presented with a never-before-seen venue for the 2023 event, Oakdale Golf Club. Despite the tough schedule spot, many of the PGA Tour’s top names, including Rory McIlroy, Justin Rose, Cameron Young, Shane Lowry, Tyrrell Hatton, Sam Burns, and Matt Fitzpatrick, will all be making the trek to just outside of Toronto. McIlroy will be looking to collect his third consecutive Canadian Open title, and fireworks are sure to ensure at one of the liveliest tournaments of the year.

Before we get into our picks for the RBC Canadian Open, make sure to take a moment to check out these awesome sports betting offers for this week. We have teamed up with OddsChecker to ensure that you turn $6 into $400 worth of guaranteed bonuses, or you can use one of the HUGE first bet offers to wager with more confidence on your 2023 RBC Canadian Open selections this week.

RBC Canadian: Course Preview

Oakdale Golf Club

Oakdale Golf Club was founded in 1926 when a group of Toronto businessmen purchased a farm north of Toronto. Oakdale hired famed Canadian designer Stanley Thompson to craft the initial nine holes, and he added another nine a few years later. Canadian designer Robbie Robinson added the final nine in 1957. In recent years, the property has been restored by Ian Andrew. While we have not seen any professional competition at Oakdale, we can certainly draw from last year’s Canadian Open at St. George’s, which was also designed by Stanley Thompson, with work done by Robbie Robinson and Ian Andrew as well. St. George’s is objectively a more challenging golf course than Oakdale, and Rory McIlroy was still able to get to 19 under par last year. 

Depending on weather conditions throughout the tournament, we should certainly prepare for our champion to be crowned at 20-under par or better. Oakdale is a par 72, measuring a touch over 7,300 yards on the scorecard, but it uniquely features just three par fives and three par threes. Oakdale features a large plurality of both very short and very long par fours, which has me honing in on both wedge and long iron play, while I will be more forgiving on middle irons. I will ultimately be looking for players that thrive in easy scoring conditions, are elite inside 100 yards, and can get extremely hot on the greens, particularly those with a preference for Bent-grass.

RBC Canadian Open Key Stats

• Proximity Inside 100 yards
• Birdies or Better Gained
• Bent-grass Putting

Memorial Tournament: Outright Winner

Shane Lowry (+2000) (Bet $100 to collect $2,100) BetMGM has the best Shane Lowry odds

I’ve been riding the Shane Lowry train often this year, and I’m unwilling to give up now as he continues to ball-strike at an elite level, and his putter is beginning to finally show signs of life as well. Lowry is coming off a 16th-place finish at the Memorial, where he gained two strokes off the tee and 3.3 strokes on approach. Lowry has now gained strokes off the tee in six straight starts and on approach in eight straight starts. Yet truly most important is that the flat-stick is improving as well. Lowry has now gained strokes putting in back-to-back starts for the first time since last summer. 

The putter will need to get going this week on a course where we should expect a 20-under par or lower champion, which would be my one concern with the former Open Champion. Yet Lowry ranks second in this field in opportunities gained, 14th in proximity inside 100 yards, and 11th in proximity 175-200 yards. The only player in this field that can consistently generate more birdie looks per round than Lowry is his Northern Irish countryman, Rory McIlroy, and it is also worth noting that Lowry finished 10th last year at the Stanley Thompson-designed St. George’s. There’s little doubt in my mind that Lowry will be there come Sunday afternoon in Toronto.

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Adrian Meronk (+5000) (Bet $100 to collect $5,100) Get the best Adrian Meronk odds at BetMGM

While I always have some doubts about how play on the DP World Tour will translate to PGA Tour success, it’s absolutely clear to me that Adrian Meronk is ready to win at this level. The three-time DP World Tour winner is coming off a fifth at the KLM Open, and before that, he finished 40th at the PGA Championship, where he gained 4.7 strokes off the tee and 2.4 strokes on approach. Meronk has gained over 4.5 strokes off the tee in three straight starts, and he has gained over seven strokes ball-striking in three straight starts as well. 

I have little concerns about his ability to keep up in a low-scoring affair, as Meronk recently won the Irish Open at 20-under par. I believe that his elite driving ability will provide him with a number of flip wedges on the short par fours and allow him to take full advantage of Oakdale Golf Club. His value in the betting markets is still more than fair, given his lack of sample size on this side of the pond, and this is the perfect breakthrough spot for the big-hitting Pole.

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