Shane Lowry splits with caddie Darren Reynolds amid four-month top-20 drought

Shane Lowry will have a new caddie on the bag at this week's Travelers Championship after ending his partnership with Darren Reynolds following a disappointing run of results on the PGA Tour. 

According to Golfweek's Adam Schupak, the 2019 Open champion confirmed he and Reynolds have gone their separate ways after he missed the cut at last week's U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. 

Lowry, 39, has turned to a familiar face for the PGA Tour's final Signature Event of 2026, with former long-time caddie Dermot Byrne stepping in on a temporary basis.

Byrne worked alongside Lowry for the first decade of his professional career and was on the bag for many of the biggest moments of the Irishman's early success, none bigger than his Open triumph on home soil at Royal Portrush in 2019. 

Speaking ahead of this week's Travelers Championship, Lowry revealed the arrangement is currently only for one week as he weighs up his long-term options. 

"We'll see what the plan is going forward. No idea really," Lowry told Golfweek. 

Reynolds, who had previously worked with the likes of Roger Chapman and Paul McGinley on the European Tour, first joined Lowry's bag in early 2024. 

Prior to Reynolds, Lowry spent just shy of five years working alongside Bo Martin. 

Reynolds was memorably on the bag for Lowry when the Irishman holed the winning putt for Europe at the 2025 Ryder Cup at Bethpage. 

Not only did Lowry give it large in front of a boisterous home New York crowd, but so too did Reynolds. Scroll down to watch that magic moment... not if you're American!

Lowry was also held back by Reynolds in extremely distasteful scenes during the Saturday fourballs that week when he was playing alongside his good friend Rory McIlroy.

A number of unruly American fans overstepped the mark during the match, with outrageous insults aimed at McIlroy and his wife Erica. 

Watch Reynolds hold back Lowry from going into the crowd at Bethpage Black: 

Lowry's split with Reynolds comes during a difficult period of form for the Irishman. 

He started the 2026 season ranked 26th in the world, but currently looks on from the 45th rung of the ladder. 

Lowry has not had a top-20 finish on the PGA Tour now since a tie for second at the Cognizant Classic in early March. 

He missed the cut on six-over par at last week's U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.

Lowry also came tied 44th at the PGA Championship and tied 30th at The Masters. 

With a home Ryder Cup at Adare Manor taking place in 15 months, Lowry knows his current form is not good enough by his own high standards, and so he's been forced into making a change as he looks to get his game back in shape moving forwards. 

Lowry's last individual win on the PGA Tour dates back to his Open triumph in July 2019. 

He did win alongside Rory McIlroy at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in April 2024 though. 

Lowry captured the last of his six career DP World Tour titles at the BMW PGA in September 2022.  

Golfweek's Schupak has also confirmed several other caddie changes have taken place this week.

John Ellis is filling in for Chris Gotterup at the Travelers Championship while regular caddie Brady Stockton takes time away ahead of the birth of his child. 

Ellis previously caddied for Wyndham Clark during his 2023 U.S. Open victory and is taking advantage of a free week with Max Homa, who is not in the field.

Elsewhere, Julien Trudeau, who used to caddie for Mackenzie Hughes, has linked up with fellow Canadian Sudarshan Yellamaraju.