Shane Lowry comes out swinging in X-rated Rory McIlroy defence before Masters

Shane Lowry has come out swinging in a strong defence of his good friend Rory McIlroy, hitting back at "couch pundits" for branding the Northern Irishman's US Open heartache as a "choke." He was outspoken about the incident from last year, expressing his exasperation over the flak McIlroy, 35, received following his squandered two-shot lead in the closing stages at Pinehurst in June. Lowry, who himself finished 19th at the tournament, watched on in disbelief as he witnessed McIlroy's championship hopes disintegrate.

Lowry was en route to New York when McIlroy agonisingly missed a three-foot putt on the 16th, and then another short one on the 18th, effectively handing the title to Bryson DeChambeau. "[It was] devastating," Lowry recounted to the Irish Independent . "I couldn't believe it.



" Lowry had hoped to remain in North Carolina to celebrate what could have been a McIlroy victory, but confessed he "didn't want to be there if what happened f---ing happened." Reflecting on the moment, Lowry remarked: "When I saw the putt he missed on 16, I was like..

. pffffff. And I knew his putt on 18 was so hard.

" However, what truly irks him is not just the defeat itself, but the "s***e" McIlroy faced afterwards. "It does my f---ing head in," he declared angrily. "The f***ing couch pundits saying, 'He shouldn't have hit driver on 18.

' Did you see where Bryson hit driver? F***ing 20 yards left of where Rory hit it, but Bryson is a great lad. So that type of s*** does my head in." Lowry also dispelled any claims that McIlroy choked at critical moments, asserting: "He didn't play the last holes great.

.. but Bryson's bunker shot was unbelievable.

" He pondered the scenario: would DeChambeau have executed that up-and-down quite so brilliantly if it had been to force a playoff rather than to secure an outright win? "I'm sure Rory has thought about that more than once," Lowry remarked. According to Lowry, McIlroy's hunger for clinching a fifth major title is strong; a feat that would elevate him into the ranks of the top 20 most triumphant male golfers. "Majors are where it's at in this game," he emphasised.

"He [McIlroy] wants to win one more. Well, he wants to win way more, but my guess is that one more leads to way more." Despite recent challenges, Lowry is confident of McIlroy's chances again.

"He's strong. Tough. He'll give himself 10 more chances to win majors.

It's just whether he does it or not." McIlroy's quest for another major victory has lingered since 2014, with the coveted Masters title still eluding him. He was runner-up at Augusta in 2022, only three strokes behind Scottie Scheffler, and landed a fourth-place finish in 2015.

He's tipped as one of the top contenders to secure the prestigious Green Jacket this week, with the tournament kicking off on Thursday. Should he emerge victorious, he'll join an elite group of just six players who have achieved a career Grand Slam by winning all four major tournaments..