Rory McIlroy has spoken out after a disappointing title defence at the 2026 Amgen Irish Open, where Shane Lowry produced a stunning performance to win his home tournament by a record 11 shots.
McIlroy entered the week as the defending champion after his dramatic victory at the K Club last year, but his hopes of retaining the title quickly faded at Trump International Golf Links Doonbeg.
The Northern Irishman finished tied for 41st, ending the tournament at one-under par. That was a major disappointment after he had hoped to challenge for another Irish Open title.
McIlroy had already admitted after the opening two rounds that his putting was causing problems. After consecutive rounds of 69, he said he had hit the ball well enough but simply could not get the putter working.
“I felt like I hit it well enough to shoot a little one [score], but I just couldn’t get the putter going at all.”
He also admitted that reading the greens had become a major issue.
“The last two days the greens have confused me a little bit, I’ve been struggling to read them.”
McIlroy had hoped to turn things around over the weekend, but he was unable to mount the comeback required to get himself back into contention.
Instead, it was Lowry who stole the show.
The Irishman produced one of the most dominant performances in the tournament’s history, finishing at 23-under par after rounds of 67, 62, 65 and 63. His 62 on Friday broke the course record before he continued his remarkable run over the weekend.
Lowry eventually finished 11 shots clear of Joaquin Niemann and Patrick Reed, securing his second Irish Open title in emphatic fashion.
For McIlroy, the result represents a significant disappointment, particularly after winning the event last year in dramatic fashion.
However, his comments earlier in the tournament suggested that he was already aware of the main problem in his game and was determined to correct it rather than allow one disappointing week to derail his season.
The four-time major champion will now turn his attention to his next opportunities on the DP World Tour and the remainder of the 2026 season.
While Lowry celebrated a memorable home victory in front of the Irish fans, McIlroy was left to reflect on a frustrating title defence that never developed into the challenge he had hoped for.
