It wasn’t the pressure of a six-footer on the 18th. It wasn’t the noise of a hostile Bethpage crowd that made Shane feel worse. But Shane Lowry woke up worse than how he felt after his shot sealed the deal and retained the Ryder Cup for Team Europe, and it is for a reason far bizarre than anyone would expect but guess he deserved it?!

Hours after clinching the crucial half-point that mathematically guaranteed Team Europe would retain the Ryder Cup, the Irishman took to X. His message wasn’t a victory speech, a highlight reel, or a thank-you message. Instead, it was a cheeky, six-word confession that instantly caught fire online: “I might have a hangover. @RyderCupEurope.”

There were many clips of Team Europe celebrating like there’s no tomorrow, and honestly, they deserve it, after the grueling intensity of matches and atmosphere that they went through in this year’s Ryder Cup. It comes as no surprise that Shane Lowry would be hungover.

Moreover, the winning shot that Lowry putted was not an easy one at all. The pressure was on by the time Lowry reached the 18th. Team Europe were going into Sunday with a massive lead. They needed 2 points out of the 11 single matches they would be playing, but the Americans were not going to make that easy on their home soil, as they put on a massive comeback with the crowd behind them cheering for a victory. Cameron Young and Justin Thomas already won their matches, and Bryson had tied his, so the USA did have the chance to tip the scales.

Heading into the last few rounds of the Ryder Cup, Lowry was faced against Russell Henley on the final hole. Lowry landed a crucial six-foot birdie putt that tied his singles score with Henley, giving them the crucial half point Team Europe needed and that mathematically sealed the trophy. The celebrations started soon after, as Lowry was already seen with a beer, literally minutes after his trophy-winning putt.

Afterwards, when asked by Rydercup.com, he said, “The Ryder Cup means everything to me, honestly,” he said. “I’ve won The Open in Ireland, it’s amazing, it’s a dream come true. But the Ryder Cup for me is everything. To do that there today on the 18th green in front of everyone, it was so hard out there.” Rory also added, “He’s added to Irish folklore. He’s got character. He loves moments like this. He likes the stage. He plays from the heart,” after the winning putt 

Lowry was also appreciated by Team Europe even outside of the greens, as he was admired as the “team man” by many. This is due to his actions on how he was supporting his team, especially Rory McIlroy, and how he was protecting him from the hostile crowd, the heckling, and the overall negativity at Bethpage Black. 

Moreover, Lowry carried something more than the pressure during the tournament. He wanted to prove to the world, especially Keegan Bradley on why Team Europe shouldn’t be taken lightly. This was due to a hype speech made by Keegan in a locker room that went viral, but Lowry took this to heart and proved everyone wrong on why he and team Europe shouldn’t be underestimated.

Shane Lowry’s subtle get back at Keegan Bradley

The drama and the moments didn’t really end after the trophy-winning putt by Lowry. He took to social media, quoting USA team captain Keegan Bradley on his X with a photo of him chilling with the trophy captioned, “ We are going to Bethpage to kick their fu***ng a**”

Lowry then spoke about how these quotes were the main fuel driving them towards victory and how they helped Team Europe mentally prepare for the Ryder Cup. As he put it clearly,  “Keegan gave us a lot of bulletin-board material. We remembered every word.” He carried this mentality throughout the tournament and came up huge in the final moments, which makes his game-winning putt much more memorable. 

It was a brutal, unfiltered response that showed the competitive edge behind the humor that Lowry always likes. Bradley, who had promised that the U.S. would “run through” Europe at Bethpage, instead watched his team falter, which made the champagne taste even sweeter for Lowry.