“He [Rory McIlroy] can take it easy for a while. But no, going back to Portrush is going to be incredible. Rory going back as the Masters champion now is going to take a little bit of heat off me again, so I’m pretty happy with that. It’s going to be a great tournament,” Lowry revealed to Golf News. “I think I seen something yesterday where 278,000 people are going to attend the Open this year at Portrush. I think a million people applied for tickets. It’s going to be an incredible event, and I’m just going to be happy to be a part of it.” The Open is still a ways away, however, and most eyes are currently turning to the PGA Championship, where both men are set to make their second major appearance of 2025. Shane Lowry’s 2019 Royal Portrush triumph Despite claiming top-five finishes in every major championship throughout his career, Lowry’s only major victory came at The Open Championship in 2019. Played in his home country, eyes may have been on Lowry, but the majority were likely watching McIlroy, who was winless in majors since 2014.