Shane Lowry is one of the more recognisable golf players on the PGA Tour with his huge beard, but that wasn’t always the case.

In 2009, the then-amateur surprised everyone to win the Irish Open, and he couldn’t have looked more different.

Lowry was one a fresh-faced amateur rather than top playerCredit: Getty

The Irishman looks very different these days

Lowry didn’t have his signature beard, but he established himself as a top talent.

His win was just the third, at that time, by a non-professional player on the European tour.

And with the 2025 edition of the Irish Open about to get underway, now seems like the perfect time to look back.

At the time of the event, Lowry was just 22 years old and was ranked 16th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

Incredibly, it was his first time competing professionally at the Baltray course, but after three extra holes were required to determine the winner, he emerged victorious.

After a draw between he and Robert Rock, the duo achieved par on the first play-off hole before they both birdied the second.

However, Rock could only manage a bogey, which left Lowry with a 12-footer that he dispatched with ease to take victory.

Soon after, he turned professional. And it would be fair to say he hasn’t looked back.

Among the field that weekend were Rory McIlroy and Lee Westwood, and to this day, he rates it as one of his best achievements in golf.

Lowry couldn’t believe he sealed the winCredit: Getty

Winning on home soil made it all the more magicalCredit: Getty

It is also the last time an amateur won on the DP World Tour and despite McIlroy’s win 2016 in Kildare, Lowry is the last Republic of Irishman to win the tournament on home soil.

McIlroy’s win was classed as a ‘home victory’, however, he was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 in Northern Ireland.

Speaking about the win ten years on in 2019 to the DP World Tour, Lowry said: “I feel very lucky that I was able to live something like that.

“That is a dream.

“As long as I live, I think it’ll be my greatest achievement in golf.”

What are his chances this time?

Here we are 16 years later, and Lowry is one of the top 20 players in the world.

The 38-year-old has received a call-up for the 2025 Ryder Cup in America, where Team Europe will look to defend their title.

However, it has been a mixed season for Lowry.

At all four Majors, he hasn’t finished higher than 40th, missing the cut at the PGA Championship and US Open.

On the regular PGA Tour, he has two second-place finishes, but only one other top-ten finish.

Lowry’s win was a huge moment in his career and for Irish golfCredit: Getty

Despite this, he is looking forward to playing in Europe ahead of the Ryder Cup.

He said: “I think it actually works well for us Europeans – we get to come to the environment that we’re essentially playing for.

“I feel when you go play the Ryder Cup, you’re playing for much more than just the 12 lads, the caddies or the people that are there. You’re playing for the [DP World] Tour, for a lot of people on the outside.

“To put ourselves in that environment over the next two weeks, it kind of shows what it would mean to everyone. I quite enjoy that, especially with what we’ve got coming up.

“You’re getting well wishes off everybody. It’s not even just the Europeans, it’s the other guys, the Kiwis or the South Africans. I think everyone has a want for the European Ryder Cup team to win this Ryder Cup.”

But before the Ryder Cup gets underway, the Irish Open takes centre-stage.