Lowry made back-to-back double-bogeys for the first time in his PGA Tour career in a disastrous finish at the Cognizant Classic. AP Photo/Marta Lavandier/Alamy Stock Photo
Shane Lowry
'My daughter said, 'Why is everyone acting so sad that you finished second? Second's good''
Shane Lowry is back in action for the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational on Thursday.
SHANE LOWRY SAID that conversations with an unnamed Irish sportsperson – and his nine-year-old daughter – helped bring some much-needed perspective after his Sunday night horror show at the Cognizant Classic.
Lowry held a three-shot lead with three holes to play – and a statistical 97% likelihood of winning – but made back-to-back double bogeys for the first time in his PGA Tour career, gifting the tournament to Nico Echevarria in a brutal collapse.
The Clara native, who finished two shots back in a tie for second, is straight back into action at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, where he tees off for his opening round at 3.05pm on Thursday.
“It’s been tough, I’m not gonna lie,” Lowry told SiriusXM’s PGA Tour Radio.
“Sunday night, I didn’t sleep at all really. You go through all the scenarios in your head and the regrets you have, but you know, I’m very fortunate. I’ve got a great support network around me.
“I had some amazing people reach out to me over the 24 hours after that, people I look up to.
“I got one particular phone call off an Irish sportsperson who I really admire, and he was very, very kind to me. I’m friendly with him and I know him pretty well, but to hear other people who have been in that situation, to just hear their thoughts on it, and I think learn from it is the biggest thing.”
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"Speaking to people over the last few days it's like someone had passed away. When they see me they're afraid to talk to me."
Shane Lowry reflects on his Cognizant Classic finish with @chantel_mccabe
— SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio (@SiriusXMPGATOUR) March 4, 2026
Lowry’s collapse cost him over €850,000 in prize money as well as a first solo win in America in more than 10 years, though he still walked away with a runner-up cheque in excess of €620,000.
“Obviously it’s very disappointing,” he continued.
“It’s so hard to win out here on the PGA Tour, and I had a tournament in my hands and I let it go.
“I’m gonna have regrets over the days after that, but that’s where we put ourselves out here on the PGA Tour. We’re playing the best tour in the world on the toughest golf courses.
“I put myself out there, and unfortunately I didn’t deliver. Hopefully I can keep putting myself there. I think that’s all I can do, keep putting myself there and try and focus on the positives from last week.
“I think I played, for a lot of the tournament last week, some of the best golf of my whole career. I felt so in control out there, and then it was just one bad swing took it all away from me. It is what it is, and we move on, onwards and upwards.”
Lowry missed out on a first American win in over 10 years. AP Photo / Marta Lavandier/Alamy Stock Photo
AP Photo / Marta Lavandier/Alamy Stock Photo / Marta Lavandier/Alamy Stock Photo
He added: “It was my daughter’s birthday yesterday. I took her to Starbucks on the way to school, and we’re sitting there and a friend of mine comes over to the car.
“Honestly, speaking to people over the last few days, it’s like someone had passed away. When they see me, they’re afraid to talk to me, and I’m like, ‘No, I’m fine,’ whatever.
“And my daughter just turned around to me and goes, ‘Dad, like, second’s good.’
“So, yeah, a little bit of perspective there. She’s like, ‘It’s not like you finished last.’
“Obviously I would have hoped to have finished first, and probably should have, but we move on.”
Lowry’s process of moving on included a casual round of golf with friend and Ryder Cup teammate Rory McIlroy on Monday morning.
“He was fine, he was in good spirits,” McIlroy said on Wednesday.
“I reminded him, I double bogeyed the 16th at PGA National in 2014 to lose the tournament, and I went on to win two Majors that year.
“Look, it’s one event, it was two bad holes, two bad swings. It doesn’t mean that the rest of the year’s going to be bad.
“Again, I had a horrible finish there in 2014 and ended up going on to have one of the best years of my career, so I just reminded him of that.”
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'My daughter said, 'Why is everyone acting so sad that you finished second? Second's good''
SHANE LOWRY SAID that conversations with an unnamed Irish sportsperson – and his nine-year-old daughter – helped bring some much-needed perspective after his Sunday night horror show at the Cognizant Classic.
Lowry held a three-shot lead with three holes to play – and a statistical 97% likelihood of winning – but made back-to-back double bogeys for the first time in his PGA Tour career, gifting the tournament to Nico Echevarria in a brutal collapse.
The Clara native, who finished two shots back in a tie for second, is straight back into action at the Arnold Palmer Invitational at Bay Hill, where he tees off for his opening round at 3.05pm on Thursday.
“It’s been tough, I’m not gonna lie,” Lowry told SiriusXM’s PGA Tour Radio.
“Sunday night, I didn’t sleep at all really. You go through all the scenarios in your head and the regrets you have, but you know, I’m very fortunate. I’ve got a great support network around me.
“I got one particular phone call off an Irish sportsperson who I really admire, and he was very, very kind to me. I’m friendly with him and I know him pretty well, but to hear other people who have been in that situation, to just hear their thoughts on it, and I think learn from it is the biggest thing.”
Lowry’s collapse cost him over €850,000 in prize money as well as a first solo win in America in more than 10 years, though he still walked away with a runner-up cheque in excess of €620,000.
“Obviously it’s very disappointing,” he continued.
“It’s so hard to win out here on the PGA Tour, and I had a tournament in my hands and I let it go.
“I’m gonna have regrets over the days after that, but that’s where we put ourselves out here on the PGA Tour. We’re playing the best tour in the world on the toughest golf courses.
“I think I played, for a lot of the tournament last week, some of the best golf of my whole career. I felt so in control out there, and then it was just one bad swing took it all away from me. It is what it is, and we move on, onwards and upwards.”
He added: “It was my daughter’s birthday yesterday. I took her to Starbucks on the way to school, and we’re sitting there and a friend of mine comes over to the car.
“And my daughter just turned around to me and goes, ‘Dad, like, second’s good.’
“So, yeah, a little bit of perspective there. She’s like, ‘It’s not like you finished last.’
“Obviously I would have hoped to have finished first, and probably should have, but we move on.”
Lowry’s process of moving on included a casual round of golf with friend and Ryder Cup teammate Rory McIlroy on Monday morning.
“He was fine, he was in good spirits,” McIlroy said on Wednesday.
“Look, it’s one event, it was two bad holes, two bad swings. It doesn’t mean that the rest of the year’s going to be bad.
“Again, I had a horrible finish there in 2014 and ended up going on to have one of the best years of my career, so I just reminded him of that.”
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Golf PGA Tour Shane Lowry