Friends in New York turned rivals in Delhi. Back at Bethpage, Shane Lowry & Rory McIlroy stood strong together against the abuse from the ruthless spectators on the course. They battled hard against their adversaries, Justin Thomas and Cameron Young. And despite all the pressure from Team U.S. and the American fans, the European duo came out on top in the end. However, weeks later, Lowry is trying to get the better of McIlroy & Co. as they battle each other in India.

The two Ryder Cup teammates and many more players who appeared at Bethpage are participating in the 2025 DP World India Championship. And after an excellent first round, the 38-year-old is leading everyone by 1 stroke with a score of 8-under 64. After completing his round on Thursday, he was asked if he was reminiscing about the Ryder Cup 2025 run during his brilliant performance. And the Irishman had an interesting response for the media.

Lowry told the reporter, “There was a little bit. We could hear the horns from the road. It was not as off-putting as the Bethpage crowd. There was a little Ryder Cup chat out there, but at the end of the day, we are all professional golfers, and we want to shoot the best scores we can. Ultimately, we all want to beat each other, too, even though we are friends.” As much as he was trying to avoid it, Shane couldn’t ignore that the spirit from the Ryder Cup was still vibrant among him and his teammates. But at the end of the day, he knew he had to beat them all, including Rory McIlroy. And that was the driving force behind him racking up such an outstanding performance.

Interestingly, Lowry didn’t express such emotions when he played in the 2025 Spanish Open. In fact, after he missed the cut in the event last Friday, he chose to avoid expressing anything at all as he skipped the post-round interviews. But now that his teammates, Viktor Hovland, Tommy Fleetwood, and Rory McIlroy, are playing alongside him, he seems to be in a much more positive mode and playing much better.

Keeping the camaraderie aside, Shane Lowry does need to get a good result in Delhi this week. Especially considering his lack of individual success in the last few years. Let’s take a look at the Irishman’s record to understand how important it is for him to win the 2025 DP World India Championship.

After team glory with Rory McIlroy & Co., Shane Lowry should beat them to get his first individual win in years

Shane Lowry produced a flawless 8-under par on Thursday of the 2025 DP World India Championship to finish at the top of the leaderboard. But he will need to continue delivering three more great rounds to help him capture the title and the maximum from the $4 million purse. If he does end up winning, then the Irishman will finally break his individual winless streak that has been going on since 2022.

The last time Lowry won a singles title was the 2022 BMW PGA Championship. Before that, it was the 2019 Open Championship. His last official title win, apart from the Ryder Cup, was the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans with Rory McIlroy. So it has certainly been a while since Shane Lowry has won a solo championship. And it would be the perfect time to win it weeks after the historic triumph at Bethpage and among his friends. So he can’t let the doubts creep in and get in his way this time around.