The putt dropped on the 18th at Bethpage Black, Shane Lowry erupted in celebration, and somewhere in that wild moment was a deeper truth: he’d unexpectedly spent the entire week protecting Rory McIlroy from the rowdy crowd. When the atmosphere turned hostile and the criticism mounted, the Offaly native just knew he had to step into a role he’d been playing quietly for years.

“I wasn’t really expecting that,” Lowry admitted in a recent interview. “I’m semi-protective of him anyway. I feel like he always gets a hard time, like he’s Rory McIlroy. He’s one of the greatest players of all time, and he puts himself on that pedestal at times and says some stuff that he probably shouldn’t,” Lowry said. “But I feel like he gets a different rap than other players at his level.”

When the Ryder Cup arrived at Bethpage Black, Lowry’s defense became physical.  The hostility was over the top. And during Saturday’s raucous fourballs, Lowry unintentionally took on the role of protector. He and McIlroy faced Justin Thomas and Cameron Young in front of a crowd that wanted European blood. The pressure mounted. The noise intensified. Lowry absorbed it, shielding McIlroy from the worst of it as they closed out the match on the 17th green for a two-hole victory.

“Was I ever told that I was going to be his protector or anything? No!” Lowry said. “I don’t know, but I feel like I played that role nicely.”

That difference in how McIlroy is treated became impossible to ignore after Pinehurst.

McIlroy’s collapse at the 2024 U.S. Open—three bogeys in the final four holes, two missed putts inside four feet, and a one-stroke loss to Bryson DeChambeau—triggered a wave of criticism that made Lowry’s blood boil. The “couch pundits” came out in force. They called it a choke. They questioned his club selection on 18. They demanded he fire caddie Harry Diamond.

“I feel like he gets criticized more than maybe he should at times,” Lowry said. “Like, after the US Open in Pinehurst, I was a bit outspoken about how much s**t he was getting for that, really.”

Lowry fought back in a furious interview with the Irish Independent. He pointed out the hypocrisy: DeChambeau hit his drive into a worse spot than McIlroy on 18 but received praise instead of scorn. He shared a picture on Instagram with McIlroy, captioning it with a plea for people to “be kind.”

Lowry’s willingness to defend McIlroy stems from understanding the unique position his friend occupies.

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Why does Shane Lowry feel the need to protect Rory McIlroy?

McIlroy speaks his mind on LIV Golf, on the future of the game, and on politics within professional golf. He sets impossibly high standards for himself, chasing major championships with the intensity of someone pursuing Tiger Woods-level greatness. He’s been the “voice of golf” when others stayed silent.

But that voice creates exposure.

McIlroy “puts himself on that pedestal at times and says some stuff that he probably shouldn’t,” Lowry acknowledged. Yet it doesn’t justify the disproportionate response he receives.

Other players at his level don’t face the same scrutiny. They don’t get called chokers for losing majors by one stroke. They don’t have their caddies attacked after every difficult tournament. They’re allowed to be great without every stumble becoming a referendum on their character.

Lowry sees that difference. The two Irishmen live a mile apart in Florida and are great friends. They also won the Zurich Classic last year. Their wives are close friends. Their kids are similar ages. They practice together regularly. That proximity means Lowry witnesses the toll the criticism takes on McIlroy’s work.

So, when the final putt dropped on Sunday, at Bethpage, and Lowry exploded in celebration, somewhere in that wild jig, McIlroy had one less thing to worry about.