It will forever be remembered as the week Rory McIlroy made it two in a row.
A second successive Green Jacket, a place in golfing history, and a $4.5 million payday as he became just the fourth player ever to win back-to-back Masters titles, it was a Sunday all about Rory McIlroy at Augusta.
But heading into the final round, there was a very real sense that this could be a two-pronged Irish charge.
Shane Lowry began the day on nine-under, just two shots off the lead, sitting in fourth place and firmly in contention for a second major title.
By the time it was over, his challenge had completely unravelled.
Shane Lowry’s Masters Final Round Nightmare Comes With Big Financial Hit
Shane Lowry endured a nightmare final round of 80 (+8), tumbling down the leaderboard to finish tied 30th on one-under, a collapse that proved costly both competitively and financially.
Heading into Sunday, he was in line for a payout of over $1 million. Instead, he leaves Augusta with $146,250.
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It was a round that never really got going.
A bogey on the opening hole set the tone, and while he briefly steadied things with a birdie on the second, mistakes quickly crept back in. A bogey on the fourth and a double on the fifth knocked him off track early.
If there was hope of a recovery, it disappeared on the back nine.
Despite birdies on 13 and 15, Lowry’s card was littered with errors, bogeys on 12, 14 and 18, along with damaging double bogeys on 11 and 16, ensured it became another frustrating final day at Augusta.
It echoes last year’s final round, where he shot an 81 to fall away as Rory claimed the green jacket.
At 39, and with his next visit to Augusta coming after he turns 40, an age where only six players in history have ever won the tournament, opportunities like this may not come around too often.
And yet, amid the disappointment, Lowry still showed his class.
As McIlroy walked off the 18th green, Lowry was one of his friends there to greet him, a big smile, a warm embrace, and genuine happiness for his close friend in one of the biggest moments of his career.
On a day that could have easily been defined by frustration, Lowry’s reaction instead underlined the respect and friendship between the two.
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