Men’s Events
Shane Lowry
Date of Birth: 2 April 1987
Coming from Ciara, Co. Offaly, Shane Lowry has become one of Ireland’s most famous golfers in the past few years. With comparisons with fellow Irish teammate Rory McIlroy. This will be Lowry’s first appearance at the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
After playing in numerous European and PGA Tours, winning the 2009 Irish Open as an amateur, the 2015 World Golf Championship and the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in August 2015. The highlight of his career so far was becoming a Major Champion, amazingly winning the 2019 Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club in County Antrim.
After his victory, Lowry discussed his shocking victory with Sky Sports.
“It’s like an out-of-body experience! I was so calm coming down the last, I cannot believe it. The weather was awful, but I had a look around, and everyone was struggling. It became a two-horse race with Tommy, and I just tried to focus on staying ahead.”
“I suppose I talked to my caddie Bo a lot today, I said ‘I cannot stop thinking about winning, holding the claret jug’. He just said, ‘stay focused’, and what a job he did today. I cannot wait to wake up tomorrow and feel what it feels like it is phenomenal.”
Since then he has finished T4 at the second Major Championship of 2021, the PGA Championship, and has carded a consistent top 10 results this golfing calendar at least three times.
Rory McIlroy
Date of Birth: 4 May 1989
Hailing from Holywood, County Down, Rory McIlroy has become one of the most famous golfers of the past decade. McIlroy began his career with a successful amateur career, topping the World Amateur Golf Ranking for one week in 2007 at the age of 17.
As both an amateur and a professional, he has represented Europe, Great Britain, and Ireland. He will now make his debut at the Olympic Games, representing Ireland along with Shane Lowry in the men’s event.
He is a four-time Major Champion, winning the PGA Championship (2012, 2014), US Open (2011) and The Open Championship (2014) and spent an incredible 106 weeks at the top of the Official World Gold Rankings in March of 2012.
His 2021 season thus far has been successful. Winning the Wells Fargo Championship on the PGA Tour with T5 and T6 results at the Masters and World Golf Championship.
Other Achievements and Awards
PGA Tour leading money winner – (2012, 2014)
Vardon Trophy – (2012, 2014, 2019)
PGA Tour Player of the Year – (2012, 2014, 2019)
Byron Nelson Award – (2012,2014, 2019)
PGA Player of the Year – (2012, 2014)
Race to Dubai champion – (2012, 2014, 2015)
European Tour Golfer of the Year – (2012, 2014, 2015)
Mark H. McCormack Award – (2012, 2014, 2015)
FedEx Cup Champion – (2016, 2019)
Women’s Event’s
Leona Maguire
Date of Birth: 30 November 1994
Born in County Cavan, prior to turning professional, she spent a record 135 weeks the world number 1 in the World Amateur Ranking from May 2015-May 2016 and then again from August 2016-February 2018, making it the longest in Amateur Golfing History.
Winning major championships such as the Women’s Amateur Championship, and winning a bronze medal representing her country Ireland at the World Amateur Championships in 2016.
Leona Maguire will make her second Olympic Games appearance after competing at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, where she finished 21st on the overall leader board. As a leading amateur in the Irish Golf scene, she turned Professional on the 5th of June 2018.
After turning Professional, Maguire has two wins while on the LPGA Symetra Tour in 2019 at the Symetra Classic. After her victory, she joined up with the LPGA Tour for her first full season as a Rookie in 2020
She has climbed the Rolex World Rankings since then, reaching 63rd after two 2nd place finishes at the Lotte Championship and Meijer LPGA Classic in 2021.
Stephanie Meadow
Date of Birth: 20 January 1992
Born in Jordanstown Northern Ireland, Stephanie Meadow will make her second appearance at the Olympic Games in Tokyo this year. She made her Olympic debut in 2016 in Rio, becoming a two-time Olympian in the process.
Moving to Alabama USA at the age of 14, she started golf and became and famous amateur golfer in the state. Becoming the Crimson Tide’s first-ever four-time All-American.
She has numerous team appearances as an amateur, representing Great Britain and Ireland on different occasions and in 2011 and 2013 at the Vagliano Trophy. Partaking in the Curtis Cup twice (2012,2014) winning it in 2012. She represented Ireland in 2012 at the Espirito Santo Trophy.
She left Alabama as an amateur as the career record holder in every category she entered.
Meadow decided to turn Professional in 2014. Where she won her first LGPA Symetra Tour tournament at the 2018 IOA Championship in a playoff.
She won her first LPGA Tour Card in 2019 after finishing in the top six of the Symetra Tour Money List. In August 2019. She was victorious in winning the ISPS Handa World Invitational.
She recently entered her first Major Championship in 2021, where she finished T19 at the ANA Inspiration.
