Lowry splits with caddie, brings back Dermot Byrne

Shane Lowry plays his tee shot on the 11th hole during the first round of the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y. on Thursday, June 18, 2026. (Logan Whitton/USGA)

Shane Lowry was not a happy man after his missed cut at the US Open, and the first casualty of his results crisis is caddie Darren Reynolds.

Despite playing some great golf at times this year, the Offaly man is frustrated that he hasn't been turning that into wins or top finishes.

As a result, he's called in Dermot Byrne, who was by his side for nine years before being sacked during The Open in 2018, for this week's Travelers Championship in Connecticut.

"We'll see what the plan is going forward," Lowry told Golfweek at TPC River Highlands when asked about his caddie arrangements for the rest of the season. "No idea really."

After missing the cut at Shinnecock Hills last Friday, Lowry cut a frustrated figure as a season that has seen him spurn chances to win in the Dubai Invitational, the Cognizant Classic and the Masters with poor or unfortunate shots in final rounds.

"Golf is just not agreeing with me at the moment," said the three-time Ryder Cup player (39), who has fallen from 26th to 45th in the world this year.

"I'm not enjoying it. I didn't have any fun this week."

Reynolds had been on Lowry's bag since February 2023, coming in to replace Brian "Bo" Martin, who was a key man to his historic Open Championship win at Royal Portrush in 2019.

Martin took over after Byrne was sacked by Lowry after he'd opened with a frustrating 74 in The Open at Carnoustie in 2018, called in his coach, Neil Manchip, to carry the bag in round two and cried in his car in the car park after missing the cut that day.

Lowry took on his brother Alan for four weeks that summer before Martin took over at the Portugal Masters in September that year, going on to have a successful partnership that occasionally raised eyebrows when Lowry lost patience on the course.

Lowry later admitted that sacking Byrne, who remains a good friend, during The Open was a mistake.

"It put a bit of a spotlight on him, which he didn't need", Lowry said. "We'd built a great friendship over the years; nine years together is a long time.

"Dermot wasn't the problem. It was more that I wasn't the person I wanted to be on the course." Lowry's split with Martin after the 2023 Dubai Desert Classic was also made to avoid damaging a friendship, and Reynolds was initially brought in on a trial basis at the Phoenix Open that year.

They went on to win Ryder Cups in 2023 and 2025 and won the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with Rory McIlroy.

Byrne went on to enjoy success with Leona Maguire from 2021 to July 2024,  winning two LPGA Tour titles and one on the Ladies European Tour.

He's since caddied for several other players on both the men's and women's tours, including Lottie Woad and, occasionally, for Maguire this season.

Bryne could just be the man to help Lowry snap out of a crisis of confidence that appears to have affected him since he blew a three-shot lead with three holes to play at the Cognizant Classic in March.

The Clara man knows that time heals all wounds, and after helping his father, Brendan, find the right company for hip and knee replacements, he's now a brand ambassador for the Joint Replacement division of the medical technology company Stryker.

"We did some research on what we needed to do going forward, and that's when we first introduced Stryker products," Lowry said. "He had his hip replaced 12 years ago and knee replaced three years ago." 

Lowry Snr used a Stryker Exeter Hip for his left hip and a Stryker Triathlon Knee for his right knee, and was last week clambering up and down the slopes at Shinnecock Hills.

"Watching my dad in pain because of his hip and knee was as hard as anything I've come across on the course. As a caregiver, you want to help, but it's not always clear where to start," Lowry said.  "I've learned that asking the right questions, finding the right doctor and simply being there along the way can make a big difference."

It's certainly made all the difference to GAA hero Brendan, who attends around 12 events every year to watch his son.

"He lives for watching me play golf and hanging with his grandkids," Lowry said. That's his life at the minute, and it's great for him to be fit and healthy." 

Lowry has his work cut out to win this week with newly crowned US Open champion Wyndham Clark and world number one Scottie Scheffler in the field.

"I think it's a nice tournament to have after the US Open because the golf course doesn't change a bunch year to year,"  Scheffler said. "You're not showing up learning a totally new golf course and new conditions."

Lowry will be making his sixth start in the event, where he was ninth behind Scheffler two years ago, before heading home to play links golf and get ready for his next start in The Open at Royal Birkdale from July 16-19.