Rory McIlroy shows his true face as Shane Lowry confesses to restaurant incident

Open Championship contender Shane Lowry knows the magnetic “Rory McIlroy effect” well, having experienced it first-hand when the duo received a standing ovation after a drunken lunch in New Orleans. The Irish golf stars decided to bond over drinks for this year’s Zurich Classic and went on to win the Louisiana title in their debut as a pair.

Despite his own influence on the PGA and the European Tour, Lowry acknowledged that the cheers they received as they left the French pub were probably for McIlroy, especially after a particularly generous purchase. He recalled the incident on the Fore Play podcast at the Open and

Lowry said, “It was pretty fancy, but not really. It was right off Bourbon Street,” adding with a laugh, “When we left the restaurant, we got a standing ovation. Well, I was with Rory.”

When asked who the applause was actually for, he admitted: “It was for Rory. He ordered a very expensive bottle of wine. So yes, that was probably it!”

McIlroy, 35, previously revealed it was his idea to ask Lowry to partner him after Lowry’s regular pal Padraig Harrington joined the Champions Tour. Their partnership has proved worth its weight in gold with their triumph at the Zurich Classic.

Today, McIlroy is cheering from the sidelines as his compatriot tries to claim his second Open Championship title at Royal Troon. A hugely disappointing 77 in Saturday’s third round saw Lowry tumble from the top of the leaderboard to ninth, but he still has a chance as he is just three shots behind the leader ahead of Sunday’s play, the Mirror reports.

“I can’t wait to watch this weekend. He’s enjoying these conditions,” McIlroy said of his close friend before the championship rounds. “He’s fired up for this more than anything else. I’m looking forward to cheering him on and hopefully him getting his second jug.”

Lowry had already won The Open in 2019 when it was held at Portrush, beating the field by six shots with a dominant performance. The first 36 holes in Scotland showed he had the potential for similar success this weekend, but Saturday’s slump has put his prospects of the silverware trophy in doubt.