Lowry’s five foot birdie on the 72nd hole green saw him join some of the greats of Irish golf who have enjoyed such honour including Eamonn Darcy, Christy. O’Connor Jnr, Philip Walton, Graeme McDowell and Paul McGinley on the list of Irish greats to help Europe lift the trophy.
Lowry’s closing hole birdie ensured he halved his match with American Russell Hendley to ensure that Europe reached the 14-points they needed to retain the trophy and with three matches to be deciided.
In the end it was Tyrrell Hatton who secured the half point needed against Collin Morikawa that handed Europe their 15-13 triumph.
With Viktor Hovland unable to play his singles due to a neck injury and his match with Harris English declared halved, Donald’s team needed just two points from 11 to retain the trophy and two and a half to win outright.
The Americans required 9.5 points from 11 to complete the greatest Ryder Cup comeback in history and they damn well went close, very close winning five matches and halving six.
TEARY-EYED @ShaneLowryGolf JOINS IRISH @RyderCupEurope IMMORTALS ….
In securing birdie putt for #Europe to retain @rydercup while Shane rips into New York crowd declaring Adare Manor in 2027 will be ‘much nicer’
Read: https://t.co/8JjKHJgoLW
✅ @TOURMISS pic.twitter.com/LnhWvd7ZJR
— Fatiha (@TOURMISS) September 28, 2025
(Shane Lowry image – PA)
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who went winless over the four earlier team rounds, overcame a jaded Rory McIlroy in the marquee singles, winning 1 up to claim his lone point of the week in a match that never had more than a hole in it.
When JJ Spaun beat Sepp Straka 2&1, it was 10.5-13.5 with Europe level in three and down in one of the remaining matches.
Lowry came to the 17th one down to Russell Henley but wasted little time in calmly slamming the three-foot birdie putt into the back of the cup moments before the emotion flowing, immediately embraced by his caddy, teammates and his proud father Brendan who had walked all final 18 holes when Shane captured the famed Claret Jug six years ago.
“I’ve been so lucky to experience amazing things in this game,” Lowry said as he began to well-up. “That was the hardest couple of hours of my whole life.
“Honestly, I just can’t believe, I can’t believe that putt went in. I said over it, ‘This is it’. I said to Darren, walking down 18, I said, I have a chance to do the coolest thing in my life here.
“And like, the Ryder Cup means everything to me. Honestly, I’ve won The Open in Ireland. It’s amazing. It’s a dream come true. But the Ryder Cup for me is everything, like to do that there today, and being in front of everyone, it was so hard out there.
“I mean, fair play to the USA, like we knew they were going to come out fighting I just hope one of the boys can get a half point so we can get the win. Obviously we’ve retained the Ryder Cup. We want to win as well.”
Paying tribute to captain Luke Donald, he added: “He’s the greatest captain, I think that’s ever lived. He’s the most amazing man in the world. Like, honestly, he’s done the best job.
“Honestly, I’m just, yeah…”
And Lowry had one parting comment for two years time when the 46th Ryder Cup will return to Ireland for only second time and this occasion at Adare Manor.
He was asked what he thought of now heading to Adare Manor as the Irish golfer who holed the winning 2025 Ryder Cup win and Lowry pulled no punches with his response saying: “It’d be a little bit nicer than playing here. I know that!”.
