Shane Lowry explains his protectiveness of Rory McIlroy

Big brother behaviour from Shane Lowry.

At last year's US Open, Rory McIlroy suffered the most devastating loss of his career when he was beaten by Bryson DeChambeau at Pinehurst.

Three bogeys in his last four holes, including two missed short putts on 16 and 18, handed a one-stroke victory to the American.

Afterwards, Northern Irishman was given a tonne of abuse online, and was labelled as a choker, while his relationship with caddie Harry Diamond was also criticised, with fans believing that the two friends were too close to each other.

It is well known that McIlroy and fellow Irish golfer, Shane Lowry, are close friends and the hurt the latter had for his mate after the loss was plain to see in his interview with Paul Kimmage in the Irish Independent.

Kimmage asked: "You were asked on Full Swing [Netflix show] if you were protective of him."

Lowry replied: "I was after that, yeah. Anyone that came at him after that I was like, ‘You don’t have a f**king clue.”

"He’s the greatest golfer of our generation and I don’t think he gets any leeway at all.

"And some of the shite Harry gets off the back of it, now that really does my head in. Dustin Johnson had his brother caddying for him for 10 years and nobody said anything; other players have had the same caddie for 15 years, but everything Rory does is scrutinised."