Rory wins at home; Augusta changes gears; and Lowry pokes the bear

Each week, we ask our panel of writers, PGA members and golf industry experts to weigh in with their views on the hot topics of the day.

A jubilant Rory McIlroy won the Irish Open on Sunday on the third playoff hole. It was the first win for McIlroy since the Masters in April and may give the Irishman a timely boost as he preps for the Ryder Cup. What’s your take on McIlroy’s win?

Jim Deeks, Fairways Magazine (@jimdeeks): Almost nothing Rory does is ever wrong, in my opinion, and I’m always thrilled to see him win.  Even though I missed it live, yesterday’s victory had to be one of the most gratifying ever for him and his family… in front of home-country crowd, and in as dramatic a fashion as you might ever see.  I hope he goes undefeated in the Ryder Cup!

Craig Loughry, Golf Ontario (@craigloughry): Wild come from behind win, Rory certainly played well, but also had a few things go his way. That’s what it takes to win sometimes. Couldn’t have been better timing, to win, to win at home and just before the Ryder Cup. This could be very well what the doctor ordered for him, to find some form late in the season here.

Michael Schurman, Master Professional / Hall of Fame Member, PGA of Canada: When Rory is ‘on’, he is one of the best players of all time. Winning has a habit of producing thoughts of wanting more. In the Ryder Cup, every match bears significance, and Rory’s contributions as a leader are even more important. I hope he bounces down the fairways in New York.

TJ Rule, Golf Away Tours (@GolfAwayTJ):  I wasn’t able to watch the back nine and was a bit surprised to see that Rory pulled it out, clearly the leaders felt the pressure and didn’t run away from the field as they could have and maybe should have.  But with Rory in the second last group and the crowd fully on his side, it’s obviously pretty tough to deal with that, and it showed for the final pair.  The eagle putt on 18 was reminiscent of Tiger in his glory days, making the putt when it matters.  Maybe the Masters win got him over the hump, and he can be the dominant player when he gets near the top of the leaderboard.  I would love to see Rory and Scottie go head-to-head a number of times in 2026 and see who has the more dominant year, that would be fun to watch!

Hal Quinn, Freelance Writer, Vancouver: As good as it gets, north or south, for Rory to win on the Emerald Isle is wonderful for him, the fans, the divided nation, and golf its own self. That it was dramatic only makes the celebration better, and perchance longer. That he’s in form, as they say over there, can’t help but bode well for the Ryder Cup.

Peter Mumford, Fairways Magazine (@FairwaysMag): As we’ve seen from many other very accomplished golfers, including Brooke Henderson, winning your own national open is extra special. Even someone with as many titles and majors as Rory probably gets an added boost from an Irish Open title and coming in the lead up to the Battle at Bethpage, the timing couldn’t be better.

At the Irish Open, Shane Lowry commented on the upcoming Ryder Cup and the expectation that the fans at Bethpage State Park will be rough on his European squad. “We play week-in, week-out in America. We all live in America, or most of us do, anyway, and we have all got a lot of fans in America. … I don’t think they can turn on you that bad for one week.” Is Lowry being naïve? How do you think New York fans will treat the Europeans?

Deeks: Yes, I think he’s being naïve.  Nothing compares to American jingoism (unfortunately), especially at a Ryder Cup on home soil, and even if most of the fans normally like and respect the European players, they can be unbelievably loud, rude, disrespectful, and full of hate for one weekend every four years when it’s held in America. If I were Euro Captain Luke Donald, I’d give every one of my players a set of earbuds, pre-programmed with Mantovani’s Greatest Hits, and maybe a THC vape pen, and tell them to go out, play their best, and ignore the heathens.

Loughry: Honestly, I’m sure Lowry is a good gent to sit and have a pint with, but so many comments from him are out to lunch. On this one though, I think he’s trying to be strategic ahead of the event, and help build the case of poor little Team Europe, please be polite. New York is a harsh place; I suspect that will show that week. Although the PGA of America did try their best to control the audience with ticket sales by setting the price extremely high to weed out the common man, who may drink a little too much and get rowdy.  So, we may see tame fans on site.

Schurman: Americans are beginning to feel a tiny bit of isolation, which will bring a higher level of enthusiasm. There will be an increase in volume of the “We vs them,” and Lowry is in for an awakening now that he has drawn attention to himself. Never poke the bear in New York.

Rule: I think he’s trying to downplay it but knows it will be noisy.  But you don’t want to give that crowd any more chalkboard content than they already have.  It’s going to be ruthless, and beyond anything that they deal with on a day-to-day basis.  I’m sure Lowry knows that, at least I hope he does. I just hope the fans are respectful of the game and the players.  Sadly, I don’t think all of them will be.

Quinn: Lowry and the rest may live in Florida and environs for the relief from the rain, and oh by the way, the massive tax breaks, but…. for the leather lungs at Bethpage, they will be the enemy. In the MAGA world, and even before the Trumpian dystopia, Bethpage was not a UN peace zone. In Trump’s great again US, recent incidents of vicious battles over baseballs at MLB games, sex toys tossed on WNBA courts, a fan being banned for life from all NFL games for shoving a player, don’t exactly preface a sophisticated and respectful stage in the game’s grand tradition. Lowry is being diplomatic, and honestly hopeful.

Mumford: Oh Shane. Whether you’re having some fun at the expense of the fans or it’s just a naïve off-the-cuff comment, you now have a target on your back. You may think Americans are your friends and neighbours and will treat you with respect, but this is New York. You don’t live there and you’re not from there and you’ll be wearing the ‘away’ jersey, which makes you the enemy in this over-hyped, alcohol-fueled slugfest. Try to keep smiling and make lots of putts.

Speaking of national opens, the Masters recently made a change to its qualifying criteria to bring it more in line with other major championships. Previously, the winners of the PGA Tour Fall Series were invited to Augusta the following spring. That’s no longer the case. Starting in 2026, the winners of the Scottish, Spanish, Japanese, Hong Kong, Australian, and South African Opens will now receive those invitations to the Masters instead. What are your thoughts on this move?

Deeks: I think it’s great!  There has long been criticism of the Masters for being a limited field, but I think this is one of the positive aspects that sets it apart, worthily, as a major.  Who cares if the international winners generally don’t finish well up on the leaderboard?  Giving them a chance to compete at “heaven on earth” is a real incentive and great reward for their victories, in countries most Americans can’t be bothered to visit.  As usual, Fred Ridley and his Board have made a strong decision.

Loughry: I mean this with respect, but the Fall Series players who win are definitely from very “weak” fields in comparison to most weeks. I understand the move from Augusta, trying to allow more International Players into the field, strengthening their global presence, and trying to beef up the old Opens across the globe. Is this better for the tournament? I can’t say definitively if it helps or hurts the strength of the field, only time will tell.

Schurman: I don’t like it! I know that short daylight hours are a factor in April, but players who won the fall events have achieved a comparable accomplishment to those in other PGA TOUR events held in other months. I’d prefer to see the field increased by two threesomes. I’d like to hear the argument for change.

Rule: I still think if a player wins on Tour, even if it’s an adjacent event, they should get into all of the majors the following year.  The Masters field is the smallest of the major fields by far, so it seems to me that they have the room to fill a few more spots.  Why can’t they just add the national open winners to what they already have?  I do like the fact that those winners are added though, that’s a good touch.

Quinn: The green jackets have adapted to the times from day one, whether it was buying up millions of dollars worth of adjacent real estate to lengthen holes or adding token black and female members. This is just another move, as long thought-out and measured as all their decisions. And like many others this makes eminent sense. The winner’s celebrations at these Opens will now have an edge and order of magnums, as opposed to those Fall Series finales that no one watched or even noticed.

Mumford: It’s a great move. National opens are special and adding this honour for the winners further elevates their significance. The change may also play into Brian Rolapp’s plans to shrink the PGA Tour and perhaps eliminate the Fall Series or turn it back into some form of qualifying school.