Why did Shane Lowry receive a two-shot penalty at The Open?

It’s been a rough start for many in Portrush in The Open. The weather has played a huge part in proceedings as expected, with heavy rain spells and win making the conditions in Northern Ireland even tougher than they already are.

The roughs are notoriously troublesome in links courses and Portrush is no different, with many players struggling to play out of it and Padraig Harrington lost his ball in the long stuff, first time since 2012 that that’s happened at a major.

Then if you do find your ball in the rough, you have to hope that the lie is good enough to play out of without any issues. Well it was that rough that cost Shane Lowry yesterday.

Shane Lowry of Ireland reacts to his tee shot on the 12th. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

The Offaly man battled tough and changing conditions throughout the second round to shoot what should’ve been a one-under-par 70 but before he could play his last three holes he was told that the officials were reviewing his second shot on the 12th hole.

One camera angle seems to show that as Lowry took a practice swing the grass around the ball may have caused ball to move ever so slightly.

Now it’s hard to tell what exactly went on and you cant 100% be certain one way or another but the R&A have stated that if it’s able to be caught by the naked eye then it’s a penalty stroke. A second stoke penalty was added because the ball wasn’t replaced following the first infringement.

In a statement on the ruling the R&A said: ‘In Shane Lowry’s situation, the movement of the ball to another spot, including the movement of the logo, was discernible to the naked eye. The naked eye test is satisfied whether or not the player was looking at the ball when it moved.

‘It was clear that the ball moved immediately after the player’s club touched foliage close to the ball during a practice swing and that the player’s actions caused the ball to move.

‘In these circumstances there is a one stroke penalty and the ball must be replaced. However, as the ball was played from the spot where it was moved to, the player played from a wrong place and incurs a total penalty of two strokes.’

Shane Lowry of Ireland looks on on the sixth green. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

It meant that instead of parring the par 5 twelfth, Lowry carded a double-bogey seven. It brought his round score down to one-over-par 72 and brought him back to even par for the tournament, ten shots off Scottie Scheffler in the lead.

Speaking to media afterwards Lowry explained his side of the story, how he unknowingly moved the ball, but said he ultimately accepted the punishment.

‘I mean, yeah, I was in there with the rules official and wasn’t arguing my case, but I’m disappointed that they don’t have more camera angles on it. The one zoomed in slow motion — they’re trying to tell me if it doesn’t move from the naked eye, if you don’t see it moving, it didn’t move. 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.

Shane Lowry of Ireland reacts to his shot from the seventh fairway. Pic: Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

‘But I had to take the penalty because — 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.’

It was a disappointing end to a second round for the 2019 Open Champion, but after making the cut for the weekend there’s still a chance we could see some of that Portrush magic again.