Donald Trump Praises Shane Lowry as a 'Great Guy' With an 'Infectious Personality' After Irish Open Win

President Donald Trump presenting Shane Lowry with the Irish Open trophy at his own resort on September 13 offered a made-for-camera convergence of sports, politics and personal branding.

Lowry won the tournament at Trump International Golf Links & Hotel in Doonbeg, Ireland. Trump attended the final round with Irish Prime Minister Micheál Martin before praising the champion as a “great guy” with “an infectious personality.”

“Trump doesn't need a script to be around golfers. He genuinely likes them, and they like being around him,” said Jason Mudd, CEO of Axia Public Relations.

“That kind of relationship is hard to fake, and audiences can tell the difference,” he added.

“The same looseness that makes golf look natural also strips away the guardrails a formal event has,” he explained. “A relaxed setting like that leaves more room for something unplanned to happen, on camera, in front of the exact audience you're trying to reach.”

He warned, however, that “every unscripted setting carries the same upside and downside: people remember it precisely because nobody controlled it.”

“Golf lets a president project a particular kind of masculinity: competitive, wealthy and comfortable among powerful men,” said Zach Baum, a Political Science PhD student at Rutgers University.

“A photo with a pro golfer can borrow some of the athlete’s status without the athlete ever making a political endorsement,” he added.

Trump frequently praises golfers he knows, posts photographs with them and brings some into official settings. The list has included Rory McIlroy, Tiger Woods, Bryson DeChambeau and Scottie Scheffler.

After McIlroy won the Masters, Trump recognized him during an April 2026 White House state dinner for King Charles III and Queen Camilla. DeChambeau has appeared at the White House and chairs Trump’s reconstituted President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition.

The Doonbeg setting placed the presidential appearance on a Trump-owned property, turning the tournament’s trophy presentation into an image of both official access and private hospitality.

“The resort setting matters, too,” Baum said.

“It presents power as something exercised through personal access — who gets invited, who gets photographed and who belongs in the room,” he noted. “That can appeal to supporters who admire Trump’s image as a winner, while reinforcing critics’ view of an exclusive political world.”