Rory McIlroy was missing from Shane Lowry’s celebrations after the Irish star secured a vital halve point that ensured Team Europe were crowned Ryder Cup champions at Bethpage Black
Rory McIlroy of Europe looks on with his wife Erica by the 17th green during the Sunday singles matches of the 2025 Ryder Cup(Image: David Cannon, Getty Images)
Supporters were left questioning Rory McIlroy’s whereabouts, with the Ryder Cup star notably absent as Shane Lowry rolled home the crucial putt on Bethpage Black’s 18th hole.
In moments that will be etched in golfing folklore, the Offaly native kept his composure during a nail-biting encounter with Russell Henley to claim a precious half point that brought the trophy back to European soil.
An elated Lowry was embraced by his spouse, father, and several team-mates after holing the decisive putt, yet close friend Rory McIlroy was conspicuously missing from the celebrations.
Lowry and McIlroy had teamed up on two occasions throughout the tournament, with their memorable fourball victory over Sam Burns and Justin Thomas becoming legendary following the hostility directed at both golfers.
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry of Team Europe celebrate after winning the Ryder Cup(Image: PA)
While social media followers were initially baffled by McIlroy’s whereabouts, there was a perfectly reasonable explanation.
McIlroy had been tracking team-mate Robert MacIntyre in one of the matches taking place behind Lowry’s group.
Upon McIlroy’s return to his colleagues at the 18th, he wasted no time joining the celebrations.
“I am extremely proud to be a part of this team.
“As soon as we won in Rome, we turned our attentions to doing something that was pretty impossible to do – to win in America and in New York.
“It’s been an amazing week. To hear the ‘Ole Ole’s’ here in America, to do something people thought we couldn’t do, the comments after Whistling Straits (in 2021), decades of American dominance – we took a lot from that, we let it fuel us.
“We got so lucky in getting an incredible leader in Luke Donald and he shepherded us through the process and he’s been amazing.
“Eleven of the 12 players from Rome came back. We did what we needed to do and we are going to celebrate like there is no tomorrow.”
