The last Ryder Cup brought a lot of excitement, and most believe that Shane Lowry was one of the most important figures of the whole team. The experienced golfer was ultimately the key to his team's success, securing a 2-up victory for himself and McIlroy with a superb shot on the final par-four.
The two are great friends outside the golf course, so it was to be expected that their partnership would bring the kind of dominance and chemistry that the Europeans wanted to see.
"People talk about Shane and how he was Rory's bodyguard, but that dismisses the golf that Shane played for those two days," McIlroy said, as quoted by Sky Sports.
"He played amazing on Friday and basically won us the match on Saturday afternoon.
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Rory McIlroy feels fans didn't appreciate Lowry's contribution at the last edition, but it seems he may have been the main figure of the whole team. McIlroy is happy to have been paired with Lowry, believing that although they weren't the best combination on paper, they showed courage and character and managed to help the Europeans to victory.
He lives for the Ryder Cup. Shane and I on paper in the fourballs were probably not the best match-up or the best pairing stats-wise, but stats don't talk about what it's like to be out there with someone that you have full trust in and that is going to protect you.
I'm just so glad Friday and Saturday afternoon I was out there with Shane and no-one else, because I definitely felt like he provided a buffer for me that I needed, especially those two matches."
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Lowry reacts
Shane Lowry also told the media that many people think he was dragging Rory around, but the Irishman believes they were both dragging each other.
Lowry still remembers with nostalgia the final day of the tournament, when it looked like the Americans could completely turn the tables and win, but he and his teammates managed to prevent it.
