Shane Lowry admitted being friends with Rory McIlroy has given him the desire to keep winning after starting his 2026 DP World Tour campaign with an opening round of 69 at the Dubai Invitational.
The Irishman was part of Team Europe's Ryder Cup success at Bethpage Black in September and is a serial worldwide winner, including the 2019 Open Championship.
The 38-year-old, who played alongside McIlroy at Dubai Creek Resort on Thursday, mixed five birdies and three bogeys to finish at two under, three shots adrift of his playing partner.
Lowry recently said he believed his best years are ahead of him and when asked what is fuelling this idea, he said: "I don't know, just the desire to be better and win more and do better. And I think a lot comes from people you hang around.
"I'm very fortunate that Rory is a good friend, and to see what he's achieved.
"I'm not stupid enough to think I'm going to win a Grand Slam or anything, but I look at him, and he's a great kind of person for me to reach towards.
"I always say if I can get even close to him in every tournament and do well coming in, I can have a chance to win.
"So, yeah, like the people around you, I'm a firm believer the people you surround yourself with you kind of become."
Lowry started birdie-birdie during his first round before dropping his first shot at the 12th - his third hole.
He bounced back with a birdie at the 13th and climbed to four under after picking up shots at the first and third, but successive bogeys from the sixth saw him return to two under.
"It was alright," Lowry added. "First round of the year, you're kind of not really sure what to expect. I had a bad finish. But I played nice, I hit the ball well.
"It's a tricky test. There's obviously a score out there if you hit the fairways. You start missing fairways, it's tricky and the ball gets away from you, and you've kind of got a lot of slopes and green and stuff.
"So it's a nice test of golf. It's a lovely place to open the year."
