Shane Lowry Suggests Rory McIlroy Might Consider Retirement Following Masters Victory

Following Rory McIlroy finally clinching his long-awaited first Masters green jacket, his friend Shane Lowry suggested that McIlroy might be considering retirement.

“This means everything to him,” Lowry, 38, shared with Golf Channel. “This is all he thinks about and talks about. He has always told me that he’d retire a happy man if he won the green jacket, so I mentioned to Erica [Stoll, McIlroy’s wife] that he can retire now.”

Lowry continued, “He’s had a lengthy journey over the last 10 to 11 years. He’s overcome numerous challenges, and it’s a testament to his determination.”

McIlroy, now 35, won the 2025 Masters Tournament after a sudden death playoff against Justin Rose on April 13. This victory made McIlroy the sixth golfer ever to complete the career grand slam, which is accomplished when a golfer wins all four major championships: the Masters, U.S. Open, PGA Championship, and Open Championship.

Lowry and McIlroy have enjoyed a friendship that spans decades, originating from their shared experiences as junior golfers in Ireland.

Since April 2017, McIlroy has been married to Stoll, 37, although they briefly separated last year when McIlroy filed for divorce in May 2024. He retracted the filing just a month later. The couple has a daughter, Poppy, who is 4 years old.

Before the 2025 season began, McIlroy expressed his intention to have a lighter golf schedule than usual.

“There are a few tournaments I played this year that I normally don’t play and may skip next year,” McIlroy told The Telegraph in November 2024. “For example, I participated in the Cognizant [Classic] in Palm Beach Gardens, the Texas Open in San Antonio, and the RBC Heritage in Hilton Head.”

Sticking to his plan, McIlroy did not compete in this year’s RBC Heritage, which Justin Thomas won in a sudden death playoff on Sunday, April 20. Instead, McIlroy chose to celebrate his Masters triumph with his parents, Rosie and Gerry, in Ireland. Poppy joined him for the trip, while Stoll was noticeably absent.

“At this point in my career … I’m 35 and have been on the tour for 17, 18 years, so I want to focus on the venues I enjoy and play well at,” McIlroy reflected last year. “I’ve already done the hard grind of playing 25 to 30 events a year, and I’m not getting any younger.”

McIlroy is set to return to the PGA Tour on Thursday, April 24, where he will partner with Lowry at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans, which is the PGA Tour’s only FedEx Cup regular season two-man team event. McIlroy and Lowry were the winners of this event last year.

“We’ll be there,” Lowry assured Golfweek. “I spoke with him [Wednesday] morning, and we’re ready to go.”

Lowry added, “Honestly, I didn’t want him to feel obligated to play because of me. He’s not letting me down if he wants to take some time off. He feels ready to return and thinks next week is a good time for it. So, yes, we’ll be there.”