Struggling Shane Lowry makes drastic change after U.S. Open

Shane Lowry has had a rough time on the PGA Tour since choking away the Cognizant Classic in the Palm Beaches in March, and he knew he needed to make a change. After missing the cut at the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, the Irishman split with his caddie, Darren Reynolds, per Alan Schupak of Golfweek. 

Lowry and Reynolds started working together on a full-time basis in 2023. The duo recorded a win at the 2024 Zurich Classic of New Orleans and finished inside the top 15 at the Tour Championship in back-to-back years. They also got off to a hot start in 2026 with three top-10 finishes (including two top-threes) in their first five starts, but it's been rough sledding since. 

After Lowry plunked two balls in the water down the stretch to blow his late lead at the Cognizant Classic, he missed back-to-back cuts at the Arnold Palmer Invitational and Players Championship. Since then, he hasn't recorded a single top-20 finish in nine starts. Lowry, who hadn't missed more than three cuts in a season since 2020-21, has missed four cuts in his last 11 starts. 

Lowry isn't used to long spells of poor play, and his recent cold streak is clearly starting to affect him mentally. After shooting +6 in two rounds to miss the cut at the U.S. Open, the 39-year-old gave a brutally honest assessment of his current state of mind.

"Golf is just not agreeing with me at the moment," Lowry said at Shinnecock, per Yahoo Sports. "I'm not enjoying it. I didn’t have any fun this week."

After reading that quote, it's easy to see why Lowry wanted to make a change.

Shane Lowry reunites with an old friend