Six years ago at Royal Portrush, Shane Lowry had an indelible week by winning the British Open.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Now, back at the site of his triumph, the tide has turned for the Irishman.\u00a0<\/p>\n
In contention through two rounds, Lowry suffered a misfortune on Friday. A video review concluded he caused his ball to move in the rough while taking a practice swing on the 12th hole and was docked two strokes<\/a>, turning a 70 into a 72.<\/p>\n Sign Up Now. SI Golf Newsletters. Sports Illustrated\u2019s Free Golf Newsletters. dark<\/p>\n \u201cI wanted to do well so badly today and this week,\u201d Lowry said after a third-round 74. \u201cI put so much into this week that, yeah, it\u2019s hard to take.\u201d<\/p>\n And things got worse for the 38-year-old entering the weekend.\u00a0<\/p>\n Lowry caught a virus from family members, with whom he is staying this week. After the penalty made him disgruntled, he woke up at 2:30 a.m. with cramps in his stomach. He still managed to tee off at 11:30 a.m. local time, albeit on an empty stomach.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI haven\u2019t eaten today yet,\u201d Lowry said. \u201cI tried to get a protein drink down me after eight holes, and I felt like throwing up all over the place. Yeah, it\u2019s been a tough day, but I\u2019m not going to make excuses. I played poorly today and obviously had a bad finish.\u201d<\/p>\n Lowry added: \u201cHonestly, every bathroom I went in and tried to throw up, I couldn\u2019t. It\u2019s just such a bad feeling. I think lack of energy towards the end maybe did me in. Look, I don\u2019t want to make excuses. It is what it is. It’s just really bad timing obviously.\u201d<\/p>\n Withdrawing, however, never crossed his mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYeah, I\u2019m not not playing,\u201d the world No. 18 said. \u201cI\u2019m definitely playing.\u201d<\/p>\n Towards the end of his media scrum, the focus shifted back to his penalty.\u00a0<\/p>\n