Tranlate this title Jack Nicklaus reacts after Shane Lowry wins Irish Open by 11 shots in spanish

Jack Nicklaus was delighted to see Shane Lowry return to the winner’s circle after the Irishman produced one of the best weeks of his career at the Irish Open.

The 39-year-old won his national tournament for the second time after finishing 23-under at Trump International Golf Links & Hotel, Doonbeg. Lowry ended the week 11 shots ahead of Joaquin Niemann and Patrick Reed, who shared second place.

It was also his first individual victory in four years. The former Open champion had not won on the DP World Tour or PGA Tour since taking the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth in 2022.

Lowry started his week with a 67 before moving to the top with a course-record 62 on Friday. A 65 followed in the third round, while his final-round 63 left nobody close enough to put him under serious pressure.

Nicklaus was among many big names from golf who congratulated the Irishman after his win. The 18-time winner of golf’s biggest championships shared a long message on social media and pointed out how special it was for Lowry to do it in front of his home fans.

«They say home-cooking can heal the soul, solve worries, and cure life’s problems. It must also do wonders for a slump!

«Shane Lowry, my friend, no one was happier than Barbara and I to see you back in the winner’s circle, and to do it on your home soil in the Irish Open and in such dominating fashion, was a fitting exclamation point!

«Course-record 62 Friday, a 63 on Sunday, 23-under total, and a stunning 11-shot victory, well Shane, that is the way to pick up your first win in 4 years. Shane, as you make the quick trip this week across the Irish Sea to Surrey, England and the Wentworth Club, we wish you well in the BMW PGA Championship!»

Lowry had waited a long time for this moment

The victory had an extra meaning for Lowry because his first Irish Open title was very different. He won the tournament as an amateur in 2009 at County Louth, beating Robert Rock in a playoff.

Seventeen years later, the experienced Irishman returned to the top of the same tournament, but this time there was almost no drama on the final day.

Lowry started Sunday with a four-shot lead and quickly made the gap even bigger. He made birdies at the first, fifth, seventh and eighth holes before adding four more gains on the back nine.

His 11-shot winning margin also became a tournament record. Bernhard Langer had held the previous mark after winning by 10 shots at Portmarnock in 1987.

The victory was important for another reason. Lowry had gone through a difficult season and had missed chances to win earlier in the year. He was in a good position at the Dubai Invitational and Cognizant Classic but was unable to finish those tournaments with the trophy.

The home favorite admitted after the win that 2026 had been difficult for him on the course. He had several chances to win during the year, but some of those weeks finished in disappointment.

Lowry also did not know exactly how far ahead he was late in the final round. After making another birdie on the 15th, he asked his caddie Dermot Byrne how they were doing.

The answer was already clear on the leaderboard, with the rest of the field fighting for second place.

Lowry quickly moved on to Wentworth

There was not much time for the seven-time DP World Tour winner to enjoy the victory before another big tournament.

Lowry traveled to England for the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, the same event where he collected his previous individual title in 2022. He is playing in a field that also includes Rory McIlroy, Tyrrell Hatton, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose and several other European Ryder Cup players.

The Irishman is grouped with Hatton and Fitzpatrick for the opening two rounds.

Wentworth already has many good memories for Lowry. His 2022 victory there was one of the biggest titles of his career outside his 2019 Open Championship success, and returning there only days after ending his long winless period gives him another chance to keep his good form.

His Irish Open victory also moved him up the Race to Dubai standings and improved his world ranking. More importantly for the 39-year-old, he finally ended a run of four years without an individual trophy.

Nicklaus made clear that he and Barbara were delighted to see their friend back winning again.

Lowry will now try to follow one successful week with another, while the way he played in Doonbeg has given golf fans many reasons to believe he can have another good result at Wentworth.