On the 12th hole of Friday’s round at The Open Championship, 2019 champion Shane Lowry hit his drive into the rough. When preparing to hit his second shot, it seemed as if his ball moved slightly after a practice swing.
He was then informed on the 15th hole by a rules official that his shot was under review, and would be discussed and reviewed alongside Lowry after the round. It was then determined by Lowry and the R&A that the ball did in fact move, and Lowry was assessed a two-stroke penalty after the round.
It’s a big blow to his ambitions to win his second major at Royal Portrush, as he is now 10 shots behind the leader Scottie Scheffler (-10). Lowry’s score went from two-under par to even par through 36 holes and a tie for 34th place.
After the round, the Irishman let his frustrations be heard, insisting he did not see the ball move when the incident originally happened, but understanding that he had to take the penalty.
“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, so. But I had to take the penalty because like, 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.”
On DraftKings Sportsbook, Lowry is +1800 to finish in the top five and +500 for a top 10 finish with 36 holes to go.
