Shane Lowry was caught in a foul-mouthed rant during the second round of The Open at Royal Portrush – before being handed a two-stroke penalty.
The Irishman has been looking to win his second major after winning the same tournament at this very course in 2019.
4
Lowry’s pursuit of the Claret Jug isn’t going to planCredit: Getty
However, Lowry’s dreams of becoming the first Irishman to win back-to-back Open titles at the same course are starting to fade.
Consecutive rounds of 70 left him two-under par, but he has since a accepted a two-shot penalty to leave him on level par – ten strokes behind leader Scottie Scheffler.
After a bogey-free opening ten holes, Lowry lost it on the 11th hole following a wayward tee shot in the torrential rain.
After slamming the ball down into the rough he could be heard shouting as he watched his ball fly off to the left.
In the X-rated rant, he said: “No, don’t go left. F*** off. F*** this place! F****** rain.”
His outburst led Sky Sports commentator Ewan Murray to quickly say: “Sorry about the language slipping through there.”
Things then got worse for Lowry over a rules breach on the very next hole.
The Irishman found himself in the rough again and took a practice swing.
But during his set-up, the ball appeared to slightly move.
4
Lowry was left in disbelief by his wayward tee shot
4
He is looking to repeat his 2019 heroics at Royal Portrush
This isn’t allowed, and it was confirmed on the TV broadcast that the 2019 Open champion was being looked into.
Lowry didn’t call an infringement on himself, and has now been slapped with the penalty following a video review.
Pressed as to whether he believe the penalty is fair, Lowry said: “A little bit.
“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.
“I think they had their decision made (before he reviewed the video). If the ball moved, I would have called it on myself.
“My head was definitely looking down at the ball and I didn’t see it moving. But I’m out there signing for a 72 there now.”
While day one at The Open was slow for many players, Lowry felt good about his chances after a positive start.
Speaking after finishing hole 18 in front of a packed stand at the end of round one, he said: “Yeah, I wasn’t expecting 18 to be full with Rory [McIlroy] out on the course, but the grandstand was full.
“Nice reception walking down 18. It was pretty cool. Actually, there’s an extra little bit of pressure on that five-footer (for par to finish the round). It would have been disappointing to miss that.
“The crowd have been amazing all week. I won the last time here, and I’m trying to use it to my advantage.
“All day, I felt like I handled myself really well. Crowds were amazing. Everything about this tournament has just been great.Â
4
Lowry’s chasing a shot at history, but he is going to need a perfect final two daysCredit: Getty – Contributor
“I tried to kind of use that as motivation instead of sometimes you can put a bit too much pressure on yourself. I tried to use it in a different way today, and I felt like I did a good job with that.’’
You can keep up to date with the rest of The Open on talkSPORT 2.
To tune in to talkSPORT through the website, click HERE for the live stream.
Listen via the talkSPORT app here, or on DAB digital radio, through your smart speaker and on 1089 or 1053 AM.