LOWRY AND BO CALL IT QUITS

SHANE LOWRY has split from caddie Brian “Bo” Martin after missing the cut at the Dubai Desert Classic.

The tournament was won by Rory McIlroy, but Lowry failed to make it past the halfway stage at the Emirates Gold Club.

Lowry and Martin — who hails from Ardglass in Co Down — won the British Open at Royal Portrush in 2019 after linking up for the first time at the Portugal Masters in 2018.

Cut

The Offaly golfer missed the cut by three shots in Dubai just days after he went into the final round of the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship as the joint-leader alongside Francesco Molinari and Min Woo Lee.

But a four-over-par final round 76 saw Lowry finish down the field as Victor Perez picked up the €1.4 million top prize.

It was initially reported that the pair decided to split over the weekend after Lowry failed to make the cut in Dubai.

Lowry praised Martin after his major win at Portrush over three years ago, saying at the time: “Bo has been incredible the last year.

“He started caddying for me about September last year, and just when I started to play well again.

“So he’s just, brought a new lease on life to me. He is so thrilled.

“He was unbelievable today. He kept on my back all day, kept talking to me, he kept in my ear.

“I kept on telling him how nervous I was, how scared I was, how much

“I didn’t want to mess it up — all I could think about was walking down 18 with a four- or fiveshot lead.

“And lucky I got to do that.

“But, yeah, he was great at keeping me in the moment today.

“He’s been great for me. Like I said, you see my results since then have been good.

“I’ve known Bo a long time. He’s now become a very good friend of mine. And to be able to share it with someone so close was very special.”

Lowry is now searching for a new caddie ahead of a busy period which will see him play five tournaments over five weeks, starting with the WM Phoenix Open in Arizona next Thursday.