Shane Lowry delivered a breathtaking performance at the Amgen Irish Open, securing a historic 11‑stroke margin of victory and posting an astonishing seven‑under‑par 63 on the final day, which left his total at 23 under par for the tournament. This dominant win marked the seventh title of Lowry's professional career and his second Irish Open crown; his first came in 2009 when he was just 22 and still an amateur. The trophy was handed to him by U.S.
President Donald Trump, who attended the ceremony in person. Lowry's triumph was especially meaningful after a string of near‑misses earlier in the season. He had suffered a costly double‑bogey on the last hole of the Dubai Invitational, which dropped him two strokes short of the win, and he saw a three‑stroke lead evaporate at the Cognizant Classic after two consecutive double‑bogeys on the closing holes.
Those setbacks made his comeback at Trump International Golf Links in Doonbeg all the more satisfying. Entering Sunday with a four‑stroke cushion, Lowry extended his lead with a flawless final round. He recorded eight birdies and only a single bogey on the ninth hole, while dazzling the crowd with two spectacular 45‑foot putts—one on the par‑three seventh and another on the par‑four 15th.
He sealed the victory with a long‑range birdie on the 18th, prompting an eruption of applause from spectators. During the award presentation, President Trump addressed the crowd, noting that he had spoken with Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin about removing tariffs on Irish whiskey. The Irish leader, along with sports minister Charlie McConalogue, stood on the 18th green for the ceremony.
The audience cheered "USA" as Trump made his remarks. An emotional Lowry reflected on his season, saying, "This year has been quite difficult on the course for me.
I've had a few chances to win, and there have been some really tough times. To come here this week and do this, I don't do things by half measures!
I can't believe I'm standing here with that leaderboard. This has been the most spectacular week. It has been unreal." He also spoke about the support of his family, noting that his wife and children have been a constant source of encouragement.
"My daughter always asks me when I'm going to bring a trophy home. So, yes, I'm going to bring one home," he added. Lowry's sizable lead was built on a remarkable second‑round 62, which set a new course record. That performance gave him a comfortable margin heading into the final day, and his competitors were unable to mount a serious challenge.
Jacob Skov Olesen, who had been Lowry's closest rival at 12 under par and four strokes behind after the third round, faltered with a three‑over 73 on Sunday and slipped down the leaderboard. Patrick Reed posted a strong closing 64, while Rasmus Neergaard‑Petersen carded a 63, earning them second and third places respectively. Joaquin Niemann shared second place with Reed at 12 under, and Neergaard‑Petersen finished one stroke behind them.
England's Alex Fitzpatrick was tied for seventh at nine under, while Sergio Garcia, Robert MacIntyre, Matt Wallace and several others posted six‑under scores. Jon Rahm ended the tournament at four under, and defending champion Rory McIlroy managed a best round of 67, finishing the week at one under par, a disappointing result compared with his expectations.
McIlroy remained optimistic about the upcoming BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, a venue where he won in 2014 and has been runner‑up three times. He said, "I've seen enough good stuff this week to give me encouragement going into next week.
It's a golf course that I know well and one I've had success on. Obviously this wasn't the week that I wanted but, at the same time, I don't feel too far away and I feel good going into Wentworth. I thought I hit the ball pretty well for the most part. A couple of bad decisions off the tees yesterday but, overall, my iron play was a lot better, my wedge play was pretty good for the most part and obviously it was a struggle on the greens.
That was the difficult thing and why I wasn't able to get myself into contention. I need a little bit of time on the putting green the next couple days and to get familiar with the greens at Wentworth again." The DP World Tour will now move to Surrey for the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, the tour's flagship event. Fans can watch extended live coverage of all four rounds, with featured groups beginning at 7:30 a.m.
on Thursday. For those without a Sky Sports subscription, alternative streaming options are available, and golfers can also book tee times at any of the 1,700 courses across the UK and Ireland through the tour's online platform.