Lowry eyes end to three-year victory drought in 2026

Shane Lowry of Ireland reacts to his par save on the No. 16 green during the third round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club, Saturday, April 12, 2025.

Shane Lowry will forever remember 2025 for his Ryder Cup heroics but he admits that getting another win and contending for a second major championship victory are the goals at the top of his wish list in 2026.

The Offaly man, who turns 39 in April, claimed the point that ensured Europe retained the Ryder Cup when he made that slippery seven-footer to halve with Russell Henley in the singles at Bethpage Black.

But he didn’t win an event and with just six individual wins on his CV — five as a pro — in 424 appearances on tour since 2009, he’s determined to enter the winner’s circle this year.

“Yeah, I mean, 2025, obviously just one outstanding highlight,”  Lowry said of his Ryder Cup moment ahead of the Dubai Invitational, where he is joined in the field by Rory McIlroy, Padraig Harrington, and Tom McKibbin.

“I think not that I saved my year, but I did play really good all year, but obviously didn't get a win. “That topped it all off for me. At the start of the year, if you had told me I was going to do that, I wouldn't have cared about anything else I did.

“2026, I’ve obviously set some new goals and obviously big tournaments, majors. I’d like to contend in a couple of majors this year and give myself a couple of chances in regular events as well and to try to get a win in the near future would be ideal.”

While he won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with McIlroy in 2024, Lowry’s last individual win came in the 2022 BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth more than three years ago.

He had his chances last year to end that winless streak, but lost out to McIlroy in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and to Sepp Straka in the Truist Championship in Philadelphia.

“Obviously, when I had chances to win, you know, Philadelphia was one where I should have won,” he reflected. “But hindsight is obviously easy to look at that. I think I did everything pretty well last year.

“I think obviously there are parts of my game that I could improve on. But for the most part, I think my game was really, really good.

“I think it's all about being myself. I've been around a long time now, and I know what works for me. Just keep being me and see what happens.”

Lowry’s putting might look like the weakest part of his game, but it’s improved considerably in recent years, and he’s happy to be an elite iron player, even if it means he appears to miss more chances than most.

“My stats are never going to be great, because I'm such a good iron player,”  he said at the end of last season.  

“Like, Scottie Scheffler, obviously, he's pretty good now (on the greens), but he's such a good iron player that his putting stats, he's never going to be the number one putter.

“The number one putter is always going be the guy who's a pretty average iron player. If you're that good at everything, you're going to be unbeatable.”

The PGA Tour and getting ready for the Masters are Lowry’s priorities in the early part of the season, but with the Dubai Desert Classic to come next week, he’s happy to be back on the DP World Tour.

“The DP World Tour, honestly, I absolutely love coming back and playing here,”  Lowry said. “I love coming back and seeing all the old faces.

“But I think the tournaments themselves, obviously, we're here this week. This is, I believe, the second one of this Dubai Invitational.

“We go to the Desert Classic next week, obviously, the history of it. I think history, that's what it's all about, winning the great championships that we've had for many years. I'm going to try to win and support as much as I can.”

As for this week’s test at Dubai Creek Resort, where world number three Tommy Fleetwood defends the title he won in 2024, Lowry will partner McIlroy for the first two rounds.

“I’ve never played the tournament here,”  he said. “Only played casually. Thought it was fairly easy.

“But if you start to look where all the trouble is, there are a few really, really tough shots out here.

“It's a course where if you drive it in play, you're going to give yourself a lot of chances, but if you start driving it off-line, you're going to get yourself in a lot of trouble. It's a nice way to start the year.”