After Eamonn Darcy’s downhill putt at Muirfield Village in 1987, Christy O’Connor Jnr’s sensational two-iron at The Belfry in 1989, Philip Walton’s match winning point at Oak Hill in 1995, Paul McGinley’s champagne cork 10-footer at The Belfry again in 2002 and Graeme McDowell’s magical putt in Wales in 2010, Lowry knocked in a six-and-a-half footer for the ages at Bethpage Black last night.
Not only was it the putt that ensured that Europe would retain the trophy and allowed Tyrrell Hatton to go on and seal a 15-13 win after a meteoric US singles comeback, it arguably ranks as the biggest moment of the Offaly man’s career.
That’s saying something after Lowry won the 2009 Irish Open as an amateur and romped to a six-shot win in The Open at Royal Portrush in 2019.
But such was the importance of the moment, the pride of Clara admitted he might never have recovered had he missed that putt. “I said to Darren [Reynolds, his caddie] going down the last hole, ‘I’ve got the chance, the opportunity, to have one of the biggest moments of my life here’,” Lowry revealed afterwards. “That’s what I felt like. I can’t believe it, I just can’t believe it, to be honest. What an awful day. Like, it was the hardest day I’ve ever had on the golf course.
“We looked great for a long time, and then when I got around the turn, I was like, ‘Jesus, this doesn’t look good at all’.
Team Europe’s Shane Lowry and Matt Fitzpatrick celebrate winning the Ryder Cup REUTERS/Paul Childs
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“You’re hoping Fitzy’s going to win, and Ludwig is going to win and Rosie, he went down the last, and you’re hoping he was going to at least get a half and Tommy the same and Rory the same.
“It’s hard not to look at the scoreboard, it’s hard not to get involved in what’s going on there, but you do have to take care of your own game.”
Two down with four to play against world number three Russell Henley, Lowry produced one of the great Ryder Cup finishes — a run of five successive threes — to halve his match and claim that crucial 14th point.
“When I got to the 15th tee, I was two down and I said to Darren, I have to do something here, like I really do. The 17th wasn’t great, but I had an unbelievable two-putt there. And I believe I probably played the best four holes of my life to get a half somehow.”
Lowry has had his struggles on the greens over the years, but he summoned up the courage to hit the putt of his life at the 18th.
“When you’re in that situation, all the doubts come into your head,” he said.
“It’s hard. Like, if I messed up and we don’t end up retaining or winning, it would probably have taken me a long time to get over something like that.
“So it was a huge moment in my career and I stood up to the plate and knocked it in.”
His reaction said it all.
“Pure relief,” he beamed. “Relief, joy, all of the above. It was unbelievable because, fair play to the Americans, they fought very hard, they were always going to come back at us.
Team Europe’s Shane Lowry and Matt Fitzpatrick celebrate winning the Ryder Cup REUTERS/Paul Childs
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“I didn’t think it was going to be to such an extent. I thought our team are playing amazingly. I liked the lineup today, but yeah, like Jesus, honestly, it’s the most incredible feeling in the whole world.”
Lowry has always had a hard time choosing between his Irish Open win at Baltray and the joy of winning The Open at Royal Portrush.
But he now has a blessed trinity of great moments to call his own and last night’s Ryder Cup moment might just trump the lot.
“It’s everything to me, honestly,” he said of the Ryder Cup. “When I finally get over this in the next few weeks, I’ll be turned to Adare Manor and wanting to compete there and win the Ryder Cup again.
“I keep saying the Irish Open in ’09 [was the most special]. And then I do what I did in Portrush, and then this. Like, I’m the luckiest man in the world.
“Honestly, I’m so lucky to be able to do stuff I do for a job. It’s incredible. I love it.
“I love this team. I love this tournament. I think it is the best tournament in the world. I can’t believe it, I have to go back to real golf now for two years.”