Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry surprised members of a golf club as they played a round at the venue
12:45, 05 Jul 2026Updated 12:56, 05 Jul 2026
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry at St Enodoc Golf Club(Image: St Enodoc Golf Club)
Members at an English golf club were left stunned on Friday when Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry made an unexpected appearance to sharpen their skills before the Scottish Open.
The pair—McIlroy, 37, and Lowry, 39 —were joined by Team Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, 48, at St Enodoc Golf Club in Rock on Cornwall’s north coast for a practice session as they prepare for back-to-back tournaments on British courses this month.
Both golfers are set to compete in this week’s Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club from July 9-12, which will see McIlroy back in action following his T32 result at last month’s U.S. Open, before heading to the year’s final major, The 2026 Open Championship, the following week.
Prior to making their way to Scotland for the competition, however, McIlroy and Lowry travelled to Britain’s far southwestern corner for their preparations, arriving at Cornwall’s St Enodoc Golf Club on Friday afternoon.
The club’s official X account revealed the news, posting several images of McIlroy, Lowry and Donald on the course and posing for photographs with the caption: “Welcome to St. Enodoc, Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Luke Donald.”, reports the Irish Star. A follow-up post, titled “Golfing royalty in Rock”, showcased footage of the trio refining their skills at the venue, by which point news had clearly got out, with onlookers gathering around them in the clips, reports the Irish Star.
Word of the visit quickly spread across social media, with golf fans reacting to the news—many expressing the same excitement felt by those who were there at the course.
“What an honour for @stenodocgolf to host these three @rydercup heroes !” one user commented on X. “Love this @McIlroyRory @ShaneLowryGolf @LukeDonald,” another posted.
Lowry used his own platform to reshare the post, including a message of gratitude: “Links golf season. Thanks to the members and staff @stenodocgolf for a great day.”
Having officially confirmed his participation in this year’s tournament—which boasts a $9 million prize fund—back in February, McIlroy said: “It’s always an honor to compete in a national open, and I’m excited to be back at the Genesis Scottish Open this summer.
“Winning in 2023 created some great memories, and I’m looking forward to building on my strong performances at The Renaissance Club.”
McIlroy secured his first Scottish Open title in 2023, beating local favourite Robert MacIntyre thanks to an impressive birdie-birdie finish. Since that triumph, he’s achieved fourth and second-place finishes in the following two editions.
That victory two and a half years ago also marked a historic milestone for McIlroy, as he became the first golfer to win all three British Opens, having previously secured The Open Championship and Irish Open in 2014 and 2016 respectively.
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