Lowry Responding To McIlroy’s Ace: “Mine Is Definitely Better!”

9 months ago by Comments Off on Lowry Responding To McIlroy’s Ace: “Mine Is Definitely Better!”

Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy are both proudly Irish-born.

They played junior golf together. They’ve both tasted success in the Irish Open and are loyal members of the DP World Tour.

They’ve been team-mates in the past two Ryder Cups while the play countless practice rounds together.

Competing on the PGA Tour, they teamed last year to win the Zurich Classic of New Orleans while outside of the competition ropes, both families get on famously.

I could go on but then you get the picture of the ‘closeness’ Rors and Shane enjoy.

So, when Lowry declared his hole-in-one at the par-7th hole on the famed Pebble Beach course, and on day one of the 2025 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am was ‘definitely better’ than McIlroy’s earlier effort of an ace at the 15th hole at the closeby Spyglass Hill course, you know for sure Lowry was joking.

Yes, Lowry was smiling broadly when, after his fourth PGA-related ace, he was quizzed if he could comment on McIlroy’s ace.

“Yeah, mine is definitely better”, said Lowry smiling broadly.

Lowry, who aced the 16th at Augusta in 2016 and the 17th at TPC Sawgrass in 2022, could not hide his delight at completing a famous hole-in-one hat trick at the three most famous par-threes in the US.

“Yeah, it’s pretty cool,” said Lowry, who planned to split the bar tab and join McIlroy for some quiet celebrations at The Lodge at Pebble Beach but not partake as “it’s a school night for me.

Asked which of his three aces was better Lowry said:  “Oh, God, that’s like asking someone which one’s their favourite child,” Lowry said with a grin. “…hopefully I can kick on now and have a good rest of the tournament, a good rest of the week.”

As for now enjoying three PGA Tour aces, Lowry put it down to ‘the luck of the Irish’ saying:  “Look, when stuff like that happens, I’ve been very lucky with all the ones. There and Augusta and Sawgrass.

“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 a bit of luck every now and then is helpful, too.”

See below as the PGA Tour, as it normally does, then released fuller details of both aces at the close of the $20m ‘Signature’ event.

The Irish duo ended the day tied for eighth place, just two shots behind Russell Henley, who posted a eight-under 64 at Spyglass Hill to head Jake Knapp, Justin Rose, Cam Davis, Viktor Hovland (all Pebble Beach) and Rasmus Hojgaard and Sepp Straka (all Spyglass Hill) by one stroke.

Holes-in-one

  • Marks the first time since 2009 multiple aces (2) were recorded in a round at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am (most: 3/1989/R2)
  • Making his season debut, three-time FedExCup Champion and 26-time PGA TOUR winner Rory McIlroy (T8/-6) aces the par-3 15th hole with a 54-degree wedge from 119 yards at Spyglass Hill Golf Course, his second hole-in-one on TOUR (2023 Travelers Championship/R1/No. 8)
  • Shane Lowry (T8/-6) records a hole-in-one on the par-3 No. 7 with a 54-degree wedge from 113 yards at Pebble Beach Golf Links, his third ace on TOUR (2016 Masters/R4/No. 16, 2022 PLAYERS Championship/R3/No. 17)
  • Marks the eighth hole-in-one on No. 7 at Pebble Beach Golf Links and first since Ricky Barnes (2021/R1)
  • Last player to make a hole-in-one and go on to win was Justin Rose at the 2023 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am


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