Irish · Clara, Ireland · Born 2 April 1987Irish golfer who won his maiden major at the 2019 Open Championship and has represented Europe in three Ryder Cups.
Shane Lowry was born on 2 April 1987 in Mullingar, County Westmeath, Ireland, and raised in Clara, County Offaly, into a family steeped in Gaelic football tradition; his father, Brendan, and uncles Seán and Mick all played on the Offaly team that won the 1982 All-Ireland Senior Football Championship, stopping Kerry from completing an historic five-in-a-row. Lowry took up golf at 13, teaching himself the game at Esker Hills Golf Club, and caused a sensation in 2009 by winning the Irish Open as a 22-year-old amateur, defeating England's Robert Rock in a playoff and becoming only the third amateur to win a DP World Tour title, turning professional the following week. Lowry delivered the defining moment of his career at the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush, winning by six shots on home soil to become only the second golfer from the Republic of Ireland to win a major championship, a result that prompted euphoric celebrations across the country. Lowry has represented Europe at three consecutive Ryder Cups, holing the decisive putt to help retain the trophy in 2025, and made a hole-in-one at the 2026 Masters, continuing to be one of Ireland's most popular and passionate golfers, carrying forward his family's proud sporting legacy from Gaelic football fields to the world's biggest golf stages.
Winning the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush
How They Played
Powerful driver with excellent short game and putting
Lasting Impact
First Irishman to win The Open since Padraig Harrington
Career Honours
- Irish Open winner (amateur) 2009
- WGC-Bridgestone Invitational 2015
- The Open Championship 2019
- BMW PGA Championship 2022
- Ryder Cup winner 2023, 2025
Irish Athletes