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topicnews · July 20, 2025

Shane Lowry accepts controversial two shot -open punishment to avoid social media “slaughter”

Shane Lowry accepts controversial two shot -open punishment to avoid social media “slaughter”




Cnn

Irish golfer Shane Lowry said that he was afraid of being “slaughtered” on social media if he did not accept the second -stroke punishment he received on Friday at the Open Championship.

The 38-year-old triumphed the last time the major was held in Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland, but his hopes to repeat this success from 2019 by an incident during the 12th hole of his second round.

The R&A and the body, which organizes the tournament, kept Lowry's ball as moving after his club touched the Rauh on the Par-Five hole nearby during a training swing, with Broadcast cameras holding the moment.

After a long review of around 20 minutes, the ball of the world No. 18 was rated as a “clear” way for the bare eye, said the R&A in an explanation. This corresponded to a shot elf, with another stroke being docked for the ball.

Lowry, whose total number of points, as a result of two and the same, said he called the penalty on himself when he moved the ball, and added that he was “disappointed” that there was no longer a shot of the incident, especially a shot in full length of him.

“I told them I was definitely looking down at the ball when I did this exercise swing, and I didn't see that he was moving,” said Lowry, who ultimately signed for a double bogey on the 12th hole and a one-over 72 second round after the penalty.

“I'm still not sure to be honest, whether it was or not, but I had to accept the punishment because I didn't speak my name or threw it around, and I just keep going.”

When asked whether the judgment felt unfair, Lowry replied: “A little … (but) when the ball moved and I moved it and moved it, it is a two-shot penalty.

“The last thing I want to do is to sit there and argue there and not to take the punishment and then be slaughtered on social media this evening because it is fraudulent.”

Lowry found sympathy of Scottie Scheffler, partner and tournament director, who joined the Irish to check the film material, and said that his counterpart had been entered in a “hard situation”, but it was rejected to comment on whether he agreed whether he deserved that the punishment was earned.

“After what I looked at the video very briefly, it looked as if it were very difficult to see if the ball was moving. The camera zoomed in as stuff passed,” said Scheffler, after his 64 was up to date on the weekend.

“He handled it really well. It is obviously very frustrating. It is frustrating for me as a competitor of him and as a player to handle him with it

The former Ryder Cup captain and Lowry's Irish compatriot Paul McGinley said that although he understood the decision of R&A, he had to give a little more scope to use his decisions.

“Technically speaking, it is a bit like Var (Video Assistant Referee) and football, if someone is toe nail over the line, it is offside,” McGinley told Sky Sports.

“It is very frustrating. I saw it live and I noticed nothing and Shane didn't notice anything. The R&A had to apply it because it was proven in slow motion, but it is difficult and it is very hard. It is an outdoor sport, you have long grass, you have wind, you have weather conditions, you have a bit of a readingway.”

“No matter whether it is the local golf club at home or whether it is playing in the open championship, the responsibility should be on the player,” he added. “This is something that is great about our game and I want to go down this path.”

“Forward and up”

After Lowry informed about the possibility of a two-shot penalty of a rules when he went on the 15th Fairway, his immediate goal changed from a long song to a struggle for survival.

A subsequent birdie and a conclusion of the pars ensured that the three-time PGA tour winner ultimately ended a shot over the cutting line until the weekend, but 10 shots in the world No. 1 Scheffler.

After Lowry had watched the American up close, he would not have convinced that two additional shots would have significantly strengthened his chances of lifting a second clear jug on Sunday.

“Eight shots behind Scottie Scheffler are not in the edge of the dispute as he plays,” said Lowry, who fell after the punishment from 17th to 34th.

“I played great on the way, made some nice recordings … it's a disappointing thing, happens to me, but this is golf. Approx.