Irish golfer Shane Lowry said he feared being “slaughtered” on social media if he did not accept the two-stroke penalty he received at The Open Championship on Friday.
The 38-year-old triumphed the last time the major was hosted at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland but saw his hopes of repeating that 2019 success dented by an incident during the 12th hole of his second round.
The R&A – the body which organizes the tournament – deemed Lowry’s ball to have moved after his club touched nearby foliage during a practice swing for his second shot from the rough on the par-five hole, with broadcast cameras capturing the moment.
After a lengthy review of roughly 20 minutes, the world No. 18’s ball was judged to have moved in a “clear” manner discernible to the naked eye, the R&A said in a statement. That incurred a one shot penalty, with another stroke docked for the ball subsequently being played from the wrong place.
Lowry, whose overall score jumped from two-under to even-par as a result, said he would have called the penalty on himself had he seen the ball move, adding that he was “disappointed” there were not more camera angles of the incident, specifically a full-length shot of him.
“I told them I definitely was looking down towards the ball as I was taking that practice swing, and I didn’t see it move,” said Lowry, who ultimately signed for a double bogey on the 12th hole and a one-over 72 second round following the penalty.
“I’m still not sure, to be honest, whether it was or not, but I had to take the penalty because I can’t have my name talked about or tossed around like that, and I just get on with it.”
Asked whether the ruling felt unfair, Lowry replied: “A little bit … (but) if the ball moved and I caused it to move and it moved, it’s a two-shot penalty.
“The last thing I want to do is sit there and argue and not take the penalty and then get slaughtered all over social media tonight for being a cheat.”
‘It’s very frustrating’
Lowry found sympathy from playing partner and tournament leader Scottie Scheffler who, having joined the Irishman for the footage review, said his counterpart had been put in a “tough situation” but refrained from commenting on whether he agreed the penalty was deserved.
“From what I looked at very briefly on the video, it looked like it was very difficult to see if the ball moved. The camera was kind of zooming in as stuff was happening,” said Scheffler after his 64 put him in the driving seat heading into the weekend.
“He handled it really well. It’s obviously very frustrating. It’s frustrating for me as a competitor of his and a player to watch him deal with that because the last thing you want to be known (for) in the game of golf is somebody who cheats.”
Former Ryder Cup captain and Lowry’s Irish compatriot Paul McGinley said that while he understood the R&A’s decision, there needs to be “a little bit more leeway” in how its rulings are applied.
“It is the rules, technically. It’s a bit like VAR (video assistant referee) and soccer, when somebody’s toenail is past the line, it’s offside,” McGinley told Sky Sports.
“It’s very frustrating. I watched that live and I didn’t notice anything and Shane didn’t notice anything. The R&A had to apply it because it was proved in slow motion, but it’s difficult, and it’s very harsh. It’s an outdoor sport, you’ve got long grasses, you’ve got wind, you’ve got weather conditions, you’ve got rain yesterday, there’s got to be a little bit of a leeway.”
“Whether it’s on the local golf club at home or whether it’s playing in The Open Championship, the onus should be on the player,” he added. “That’s something that’s great about our game and I want to keep going down that road.”
‘Onwards and upwards’
With Lowry informed of the possibility of a two-shot penalty by a rules official as he walked the 15th fairway, his immediate goal switched from a push up the leaderboard to a fight for survival.
A subsequent birdie and a closing run of pars ensured the three-time PGA Tour winner ultimately finished one shot above the cut line, safely through to the weekend but 10 shots adrift of world No. 1 Scheffler.
Though after watching the American up close, Lowry is not convinced two additional shots would have significantly bolstered his chances of lifting a second Claret Jug come Sunday.
“Eight shots behind Scottie Scheffler isn’t in the fringes of contention the way he’s playing,” said Lowry, who dropped from a share of 17th to tied-34th following the penalty.
“I played great on the way in, hit some nice shots … It’s a disappointing thing to happen to me, but that’s golf. Onwards and upwards and give it a run this weekend.”
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