The holiday is over for Shane Lowry, who returns to tour life reality at this week’s FedEx St Jude Championship at TPC Southwind in Memphis – the first of the PGA Tour’s playoffs – needing a strong performance if he is to extend his season stateside.
Lowry, who hasn’t played since The Open at Royal Birkdale last month, is ranked 62nd on the FedEx Cup standings and must break into the top 50 if he is to continue onwards to the penultimate playoff tournament, next week’s BMW Championship in St Louis. There will be a further cut after that event with only the top 30 progressing to the megabucks Tour Championship in Atlanta.
So, work to do for Lowry, who has dropped to 51st in the latest world rankings, the first time since February 2024 that the Offaly man has featured outside the top 50, although a busy post-PGA Tour schedule will see him return to the DP World Tour for the Amgen Irish Open, the BMW PGA at Wentworth, the Dunhill Links and the Hero Indian Championship before the season concludes in the United Arab Emirates.
Rory McIlroy had hinted at Birkdale that he may not play again until the Tour Championship, but has obviously changed his mind and is in the 70-man field in Memphis as he targets that FedEx Cup title down the road in Atlanta.
Shane Lowry returns to tour life reality at FedEx St Jude Championship in Memphis
Áine Donegan records career-best LET finish despite poor closing holes in London
Áine Donegan’s fast finish puts her on course for career-best placing at PIF London Championship
Ireland win the R&A Trophy at the Home Internationals at Woodbrook
While Lowry and McIlroy – whose families enjoyed a post-Open holiday in Greece – play in the St Jude Championship, both Leona Maguire and Lauren Walsh are in the field in the Portland Classic on the LPGA Tour. The two women have similar itineraries for the next three weeks, following up Portland by playing in the Canadian Open and then homeward bound for the KPMG Irish Open at The K Club.
Bonus for the king at Castle
Numbers wise, with no fewer than 18 Irish players in the field, this week’s Irish Challenge at Killeen Castle offers by far the best chance of an Irish winner on the HotelPlanner Tour.
Galway man Liam Nolan, who has had three top 10s on the circuit this season, is the leading Irish player on the order of merit in 35th (the leading 15 in the Race to Mallorca will earn full DP World Tour cards for 2027).
The Irish players in the field are Nolan, Max Kennedy, Conor Purcell, Gary Hurley, JR Galbraith, Hugh Foley, Simon Thornton, Brandon St John, Dermot McElroy, Daniel Mulligan, Robert Moran, Sam Murphy, Robert Brazill, Cormac Sharvin, amateur John Doyle, Ronan Mullarney, James Sugrue and Mark Power.
Last year’s title was won by Frenchman Oihan Guillamoundeguy, who has progressed on to the DP World Tour where he has enjoyed a strong rookie season.
A further incentive for the Irish players in the field in Co Meath will be the chance to earn an exemption into next month’s Amgen Irish Open at Doonbeg, Co Clare.
Word of Mouth
“I think it’s pretty pathetic that I can’t get through. Zero top-10s basically in two years. To be in the prime of your career and be as good as I think I am, I think that’s very pathetic, disappointing. Just need to go home and completely re-evaluate everything” – Brooks Koepka not holding back on his own shortcomings after failing to make the FedEx Cup playoffs.
By the Numbers: 5
There are five Irish players competing in this week’s LET stop, the Swiss Open in Holzhäusern: Áine Donegan, Sara Byrne, Anna Foster, Olivia Mehaffey and Annabel Wilson. Donegan’s first top 10 of her rookie season in the PIF London moved the Clare golfer up to 67th in the updated LET order of merit.
On this Day: August 11th, 1996
In what would prove to be his only Major success, Mark Brooks defeated Kenny Perry in a playoff at Valhalla, Kentucky, to lift the Wanamaker Trophy as the US PGA champion.
For Brooks, the victory – his seventh and last career win on the PGA Tour – provided some redemption for his collapse in the final round of the 1992 US Open at Pebble Beach, a loss which led to some serious lifestyle changes including a decision to become a teetotaller.
Brooks had entered that final round on the Monterey peninsula a shot off the lead, but fell away with a closing 84 that saw him plummet down the leader board eventually to finish in tied-44th behind his fellow Texan Tom Kite.
“That was my crash-and-burn experience. You realise it’s truly not life and death, right. It’s damn near it. But it’s truly not life and death ... so I went in after that and made an assessment. Why did I break down? Most of the time it was because it had something to do with the way you were thinking. I didn’t adjust to the situation properly. They call them halftime adjustments, and when a guy doesn’t make the right halftime adjustments, you’re probably going to get your butt kicked,” Brooks said of using that disappointment.
His moment came at Valhalla, where rounds of 68-70-69-70 for 11-under-par 277 saw him tied with Perry, ultimately winning with a birdie at the first playoff hole.
Social Swing
“Many thanks to @euLegendsTour @TrumpScotland for a fantastic tournament. The course was spectacular and a wonderful addition to the resort. Many thanks to all the staff for making us feel so welcome. Congratulations to @dcfpga on a brilliant win” – Gary Murphy tips the cap to Darren Fichardt on his win in the Staysure PGA Seniors Championship. Murphy’s views were in direct contrast to American Michael Block, who walked off the course midway through his final round.
“Great fight on a tough course this week, fun battling with @HV3_Golf and congrats to @joaconiemann Loved seeing @MajesticksGC in the mix too! The @POTUS in attendance and nice to catch up following play today! Bring on @livgolf_league Indy in a couple of weeks” – Lee Westwood keeping the faith in LIV. Westwood finished third behind Joaquin Niemann in Bedminster, New York.
In the Bag: Michael Brennan (The Wyndham Championship)
Driver: Titleist GT3 (9 degrees)
3-wood: Titleist GTS prototype (15 degrees)
5-wood: Titleist GTS3 (21 degrees)
Irons: Titleist T100 (4,5); Titleist 620 CB (6-9)
Wedges: Vokey Design SM11 (46, 50, 54, 60 degrees)
Putter: Scotty Cameron GOLO 6 tour prototype
Ball: Titleist Pro V1
Know the Rules
Q: In match play, a player’s ball is in a penalty area in some shallow water, but they decide to play it as it lies. The player deliberately touches the water in the penalty area on their backswing. What is the ruling?
A: There is no penalty. Under Rule 17.1b, there is no restriction on a player touching water in a penalty area with their backswing.
