PGA Tour golfer Shane Lowry recounts telling Rory McIlroy’s wife he could ‘retire’ after his Masters win

By defeating England's Justin Rose in a thrilling play-off to win the 2025 Masters and complete his long-awaited career Grand Slam, Rory McIlroy put a stop to more than ten years of agony at Augusta National. McIlroy has no immediate intentions to hang up his clubs, despite fellow golfer Shane Lowry's playful retirement comments. He told Mcllory's wife, "He can retire now."

McIlroy became a golf legend with his victory at the Masters, in addition to receiving the coveted green jacket. The 35-year-old Northern Irishman joins Gene Sarazen, Ben Hogan, Gary Player, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods as the only four players in history to win all four major golf titles.

The win represents Rory McIlroy's first major triumph and the sixth-longest gap between major victories in golf history. It comes nearly ten years, eight months, and three days after his last major victory. McIlroy finally won the Masters at Augusta after years of setbacks and near-misses. In a sudden-death play-off, McIlroy won the event with a birdie, while Rose could only manage a par on the 18th hole.

Shane Lowry, who is McIlroy's close friend and fellow PGA Tour player, was among the first to congratulate him after the win. During a Golf Channel interview, Lowry said:

“This means everything to him. It’s all he thinks about. It’s all he talks about, all he thinks about. He always said to me he would retire a happy man if he won the green jacket. So I told Erica, ‘He can retire now’."

McIlroy had "a long 10, 11 years" with difficulties and personal obstacles, according to Lowry, who gave him a sincere embrace on the 18th green:

“He’s had a long ten years, 11 years. He’s had a lot of hurdles, he’s had a lot of moments to get back up from. It’s kind of a credit to him. It’s a sign or something for the rest of us to cling onto that no matter what happens, no matter how bad you feel, you just need to keep going, keep working hard and your day will come.”

Rory McIlroy's victory has also been hailed as a turning point in Irish golf history. Lowry encapsulated the wider effect:

“It’s huge. It’s huge for Irish golf. It’s huge for everyone. I’m delighted for him.”

McIlroy is set to lose a significant amount of his £3.1 million prize money to taxes.

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Rory McIlroy plans to stay on longer

Rory McIlroy has made it apparent that he is not finished yet, despite the lighthearted remarks about retiring. In 2025, he has already taken home titles, like the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-AM in February and the Players Championship in March. He doesn't seem to be slowing down and has been in amazing form lately.

In a March statement on Gold Channel, Rory McIlroy talked about his prospects for the game:

“I think [I’ll move on] when I’ve achieved everything I want to achieve in the game and I get to the point where I don’t think I can maybe do that anymore.

He added,

“I’d also like to walk away with a little bit left in the tank. I don’t want to be out there embarrassing myself. I’d like to walk away maybe a little before I should, put it that way."

He even mockingly rejected the notion of playing on the Champions Tour, a senior circuit for athletes over 50:

“Absolutely not. Look, I've said a lot of absolutes in my time that I've walked back [on], but I do not envision playing Champions Tour golf. Something has gone terribly wrong if I have to compete at golf at 50.”

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Now that he has won The Masters, Rory McIlroy is aiming for even bigger successes. He might attempt the uncommon feat of winning all four majors in a single calendar year.

It's been close to a decade since he won any of the remaining three major trophies- the PGA Championship, the U.S. Open, or The Open. Mcllroy has the opportunity to do something that no one has ever accomplished, a single-year Grand Slam, if he continues his excellent form for the next three months.

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