What happens when two elite golfers play on the same side of the Ryder Cup for year over year? It creates a deep friendship, just like what’s shared between Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy. The Irish professional shared candid insights on his close friendship with the Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy during an appearance on The Late Late Show. He highlighted how their bond extends beyond golf and fuels his competitive drive.

Shane Lowry’s True Character Clear as He Makes Honest Rory McIlroy Admission

“Yeah, we’ve become very close over the last number of years. Our wives are really good friends. Our kids are similar ages. They hang out together. We live very close to each other in Florida, and we do hang out together. We play a lot of golf together, and we sit around in the evenings, go to each other’s houses for barbecues and stuff. It’s just nice,” Shane Lowry said on The Late Late Show.

“I count myself fortunate to be good friends of one of the greatest players that’s ever played the game, and I get to watch him do his thing, and I think it really drives me on to be a better golfer.”

There are so many common things between Lowry and McIlroy which makes their friendship extremely natural. Besides being from close regions, they have played together for years on both the DP World Tour and the PGA Tour. They also turned professional with a gap of just two years. While the 2025 Masters champion turned pro in 2007, Lowry made the transition in 2009.

Their families are also close to each other, and they stay close, too. Notably, this friendship has inspired Lowry to be a better golfer. And he has happily admitted it time and again.

McIlroy’s 2025 Masters victory inspired Lowry. “It just puts fire in my belly to kick on and be better than I have been,” Lowry told BBC Sport. He was both happy and jealous of him at the same time. McIlroy patiently waited for a Masters win for many years. After many close finishes since 2014, he finally got to wear the iconic Green Jacket in 2025. His skills, patients, work ethic, and almost everything about him in the course inspires Lowry.

He stated the same again in an interview with The Guardian’s Ewan Murray. Notably, he had revealed it to McIlroy, too. “I said to him the other day, I am starting to get really jealous,” Lowry revealed.

At the British Open 2025, Lowry even revealed how inspired he feels by McIlroy’s drive. “He’s done everything there is to do in the game. He finished that in April,” Lowry said, referring to McIlroy’s Masters win, “and his constant drive to get better every day is admirable.”

The same drive now inspires Lowry. After hearing from the 5x major champion that he had not taken a day off in many years, Lowry was also inspired by the Northern Irishman’s work ethic. From competing against each other in DP World Tour and PGA Tour events to competing as one against Americans in the Ryder Cup, Shane Lowry has always cherished their friendship.

But it’s not just a one-sided friendship.

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Rory McIlroy draws inspiration from Shane Lowry

The 2025 Irish Open winner also gets some inspiration from his Ryder Cup partner.

“I see him as a good role model for me in some ways. I can learn a lot from him in how he handles everything in his life,” Rory McIlroy had said this during an interview on Netflix’s “Full Swing.”

Shane Lowry has also defended McIlroy amid the growing criticism he faces. Lowry has admitted that he is “semi-protective” of the Northern Irishman. According to Lowry, McIlroy faces misappropriate criticism despite being one of the greatest golfers in the world.

One key incident where Lowry defended his friend was at the 2024 US Open. He noted that Bryson DeChambeau’s poor drive on 8 got praise, while McIlroy’s collapse with three bogeys was criticized. He even questioned the 2025 Masters’ winner’s caddie, Harry Diamond, for his collapse at the US Open. However, McIlroy himself has defended Diamond.

Since they both inspire each other, their friendship has grown stronger over time. There was a feud, though, in 2024 because of some money related problems, but the duo has buried the hatchet and become good friends again.