Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry were joined by Team Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald
Tom Malley U.S. Sports Reporter
09:35, 05 Jul 2026
Shane Lowry and Rory McIlroy at St Enodoc Golf Club(Image: St Enodoc Golf Club)
Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry surprised members at an English golf club on Friday when they turned up to fine-tune their game ahead of next week’s Scottish Open.
The duo, McIlroy, 37, and Lowry, 39, were accompanied by Team Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald, 48, at St Enodoc Golf Club in Rock on Cornwall’s north coast for a practice round as they gear up for consecutive tournaments on British soil this month.
The Irish pair will take part in next week’s Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club from July 9-12, marking McIlroy’s return since his T32 finish at last month’s U.S. Open, before travelling for the year’s final major, The 2026 Open Championship, the week after.
Before heading to Scotland for next week’s event, though, McIlroy and Lowry ventured to the far southwestern tip of Britain for their preparation, appearing at Cornwall’s St Enodoc Golf Club on Friday afternoon.
The club’s official X account broke the news, sharing multiple photographs of McIlroy, Lowry and Donald on the course and taking pictures with the message: “Welcome to St. Enodoc, Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry and Luke Donald.”, reports the Irish Star.
A subsequent post, headed “Golfing royalty in Rock”, featured footage of the trio honing their abilities throughout the venue, by which stage word had evidently spread, as spectators gathered around them in the videos. News of the outing rapidly circulated on social media, with golf enthusiasts weighing in on the development—many sharing the same buzz felt by those present at the course.
“What an honour for @stenodocgolf to host these three @rydercup heroes !” one person wrote on X. “Love this @McIlroyRory @ShaneLowryGolf @LukeDonald,” posted another.
Lowry took to his own account to reshare the post, adding a note of appreciation: “Links golf season. Thanks to the members and staff @stenodocgolf for a great day.”
After officially confirming his entry to this year’s competition—which carries a $9 million prize pot—back in February, McIlroy commented: “It’s always an honor to compete in a national open, and I’m excited to be back at the Genesis Scottish Open this summer.
“Winning in 2023 created some great memories, and I’m looking forward to building on my strong performances at The Renaissance Club.”
McIlroy clinched his maiden Scottish Open crown in 2023, edging past local favourite Robert MacIntyre courtesy of a superb birdie-birdie conclusion. Since then, he’s recorded fourth and second-place finishes in the subsequent two editions.
That triumph two and a half years ago also saw McIlroy become the first player to capture all three British Opens, having already claimed The Open Championship and Irish Open in 2014 and 2016 respectively.