Shane Lowry in rules breach controversy at The Open as furious star yells ‘f*** this place' in frustration
And it came just after he furiously shouted "f*** this place" in a blazing rant on Friday evening.
Advertisement
4
Shane Lowry appeared to make the ball move with his practice swing
Credit: Sky Sports
4
The ball nudged ever so slightly backwards
Credit: Sky Sports
4
The rules controversy came on the hole after his X-rated outburst
Credit: Sky Sports
Lowry, 38, had gone bogey-free for the first ten holes to get to -2.
But his wayward tee shot on 11 spooned left, causing him to yell out the expletive in anger.
Incredibly, it is the third different Major out of four this year where Lowry has used the X-rated phrase.
And commentator Ewan Murray said on Sky Sports Golf: "Sorry about the language slipping through there."
Advertisement
READ MORE ON THE OPEN
Irishman Lowry - champion at Portrush in 2019 - bogeyed the hole.
Then on the very next hole, he found the rough when his tee shot drifted left on the par-5 12th hole.
Lowry headed over to his ball and tried to figure out how he could recover.
But as he swung his club head through the long grass,
Advertisement
Most read in Golf
CASINO SPECIAL - BEST CASINO BONUSES FROM £10 DEPOSITS
On the replay, it just seems to nudge backwards fractionally.
Lowry nor his caddie noticed the tiny motion at the time and therefore the world No18 did not call it on himself.
Tense moment as furious Jon Rahm confronts golf fan at The Open
But the TV commentators and golf fans watching the action at home highlighted the incident.
Advertisement
One social media user said: "Did Shane Lowry's ball move juuuuust a tad on that practice swing??"
Another wrote: "If they don't stroke Lowry we're going to have major major problems."
A third asked: "Did anyone else see this? Saw it live. Looked like Lowry's practice swing moved the ball. What do you all see?"
And a fourth added: "The ball clearly moved. This whole 'did he see it' or not issue should be irrelevant. He clearly caused the ball to move when he took the practice swing."
Advertisement
When he made his actual shot, Lowry played into a bunker but still made par.
The Open 2025
ONE of the most anticipated Opens in years is finally here.
Can
THE OPEN 2025 LIVE
- Follow all the latest updates from Royal Portrush
TIPS AND FREE BETS
ALL YOU NEED TO KNOW...
The Open 2025 schedule and tee times
TOP STORIES...
It is understood the R&A noted the incident and would review the video then speak to Lowry after his round - a one-under-par 70 to go to -2 - to determine any punishment.
But if found guilty, he could be slapped with a brutal two-stroke penalty.
Golf rules state: "
If you take a practice swing and cause your ball to move, you still have not made a stroke, but you will get a one-stroke penalty for moving your ball in play.
Advertisement
"
The ball must be replaced on its original spot. If the player instead plays the ball from where it was moved to after their practice swing, it becomes a two-stroke penalty
."
And at one stage that threatened to see him suffer the ultimate punishment of missing the cut.
Lowry's X-rated outburst came 24 hours after
Fleetwood was left fuming when his ball landed in a bunker that had not been raked.
Advertisement
4
Lowry did not call the possible foul on himself
Credit: Reuters
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
RTÉ News
4 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Daryl Gurney involved in heated exchange with Gerwyn Price at World Matchplay
Gerwyn Price was involved in a heated exchange with opponent Daryl Gurney after the Welshman sealed a 10-7 win in their World Matchplay first round clash in Blackpool. The pair shared a robust handshake after Price closed out the win on double 12 before Gurney appeared to take issue with his rival's celebrations on stage. Gurney had fallen 6-2 behind but gave himself hope by winning the ninth leg and celebrated by mimicking Price's trademark fist-pumping. The Northern Irishman moved within one dart of levelling the match at 8-8 before Price, the 2022 finalist, held his nerve to pull away and seal victory. It's all getting a bit heated on stage 👀 Gerwyn Price beats Daryl Gurney after a thrilling contest ‼️ — Sky Sports Darts (@SkySportsDarts) July 21, 2025 Michael van Gerwen was far from his best as he completed a gruelling 10-6 win over his veteran Dutch rival Raymond van Barneveld. Van Gerwen, a three-time winner, capitalised on a series of missed chances by his opponent and conceded he took little satisfaction from his performance. "I made it so difficult for myself and when you make it difficult it's a hard game," Van Gerwen told Sky Sports. "From the position I'm coming from, I didn't play a lot of tournaments, and that makes it hard. We all know I'm a winner, I hate losing, and I think it's the start of something nice." In the opening match of the third day of the tournament, sixth seed Chris Dobey pulled away to complete a 10-5 win over Germany's Ricardo Pietreczko.
The Irish Sun
5 hours ago
- The Irish Sun
‘Did not see that coming' – Gerwyn Price and Daryl Gurney in heated ruckus on stage at World Matchplay Darts
GERWYN PRICE and Daryl Gurney were involved in a heated on stage ruckus at the end of their World Matchplay clash. The Welshman got the better of his opponent 10-7 in an opening round thriller. 4 Gerwyn Price celebrated his win wildly Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 4 Daryl Gurney appeared to mock his celebration Credit: Sky Sports 4 It led to an angry handshake between the two Credit: Shutterstock Editorial 4 They exchanged words and Price looked fuming Credit: Sky Sports But tempers flared as Price let out one of his trademark roars after landing the double 12 to seal victory. The Iceman celebrated wildly and it clearly angered Gurney, who then turned and mocked his gesture. Price saw what his rival did and gave him an extra aggressive handshake. They then exchanged words and the shouting continued as they thanked the officials. READ MORE IN DARTS Price was not done there though, eventually giving it another fist pump and roar to the Blackpool's crowd delight. Fans reacted to the altercation, with one saying: "The game is well and truly back." A third wrote: "Did not see that coming from Price vs Gurney." Most read in Darts Former world champion Price asked not to take questions about the incident in the post-match press conference. He said: 'I've learnt to try and keep my emotions in tact at key points sometimes. "I did today in two or three legs where my head was going to blow off. I just had to keep it in. 'I was beating myself up about missed opportunities. I just give myself a kick up the backside.' World Matchplay Darts 2025 BLACKPOOL will be the home of darts for the next week as the World Matchplay returns! There has already been huge drama in round one of the tournament with SIX of the 16 players already out. A new champions is now also guaranteed after Luke Humphries crashed out in his tournament opener against Gian van Veen. There will be darts action every night this week ahead of the big final on Sunday. LIVE - Follow all the action from the World Matchplay 2025 INFO Full schedule and results Prize money LATEST NEWS
Irish Examiner
8 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Open victor Scottie Scheffler is latest sporting star to explore space beyond wins and losses
The world's top athletes can seem a confused bunch. Scottie Scheffler described in a press conference before the Open how he keeps asking himself why he wants to win golf tournaments and can't find any answers. The world No 3 men's tennis player Alexander Zverev confessed to feelings of emptiness and a lack of joy in his tennis regardless of whether he wins or loses matches. The Wimbledon women's singles runner-up Amanda Anisimova took a long break from tennis to preserve her mental health, was written off by many and unsure what to expect on return, yet ended up in the SW19 final. What's going on? As the world's top athletes naturally push the boundaries of what's possible physically, so they also have to push the limits mentally, and these questions and experiences are a vital part of that process. We're seeing more and more athletes explore the space beyond winning and losing, a concept many in sport have yet to understand actually exists. But as most athletes find out, some sooner than others, to get caught up with winning and losing is to lose the point, both on the court and in life. Finding a purpose behind the pursuit of trophies now forms a key part of an athlete's mental journey to reach and sustain their highest levels of performance. And, typical of elite performance, it's not an easy path. Scheffler explained before and after triumphing at Royal Portrush that winning tournaments brought a positive sense of achievement but that this shouldn't be mistaken for deep, lasting fulfilment. In many ways, it's a healthy questioning attitude. Scheffler is largely in a good place: he still enjoys playing, while keenly aware that winning a golf tournament can never be the be all and end all. But he is aware he doesn't yet have a good enough answer to the question: 'Why do I want to win this championship so badly?' Anisimova was facing burnout two years ago and knew she had to step away. This time off allowed her to reconnect with herself and redefine why she wanted to play tennis again. She said many people told her she would never make it back if she took time out – one wonders whose interests they were looking after or whether they understood the need to nurture an athlete's mental and emotional health as much as the physical and physiological side. Zverev seems to sense he must find a different route and knows the answer isn't about winning or losing. Scheffler, Anisimova and Zverev each prove age‑old findings of biology, psychology and philosophy that humans need meaning in our lives beyond immediate, material gains. Whether you look at the top level of the psychologist Abraham Maslow's hierarchy of needs, return to the Greek Stoic philosophers, or open up the psychiatrist and Auschwitz survivor Viktor Frankl's classic work Man's Search for Meaning, the prime motivating force in humans is to find meaning and purpose in life. Trophies are fun, and we all enjoy them. But as Scheffler reminds us, those celebrations last only a few minutes and won't ever 'fill the deepest wants and desires of my heart'. It's important to note these athletes are not saying winning doesn't matter. It's just not the only thing and, as winning is by its nature temporary and shallow, it's insufficient to sustain the highest levels of performance. Asking 'what's the point of sport?' can feel dangerous, almost heretical, but it's clearly a powerful thought process to sustain any athlete wanting to explore their full potential. Scottie Scheffler celebrates with the Claret Jug after winning The Open at Royal Portrush. Photo: INPHO/Ben Brady Finding reasons why sport matters can look different for different athletes but typically involves the awareness of the person that you are becoming through the pursuit of sporting excellence, the depth of connection that you have with friends, family and wider communities that you belong to, and, over time, the lasting positive impact or legacy you might leave. Giving athletes space and support to explore how they find meaning from their sporting journey is becoming a critical quality for coaches to support and facilitate. But it's a world away from many coaching development routes which have for decades emphasised technical and tactical excellence. Even in the world of sports psychology where there is greatest skill in this area, it's not what is often requested from coaches or performance directors. Organisations including Switch the Play, the True Athlete Project, ACT and the Jacobs Futura Foundation have woken up to the need to help athletes transition out of sport at the end of their careers, alongside various companies that offer athlete transition programmes. What is becoming clear is that those conversations about purpose, identity and social impact need to come much earlier in an athlete's career, long before they retire. An interesting consequence that follows when athletes do have a strong sense of meaning, purpose and connection is less difference between the emotional states of winners and losers. Both winning and losing prove useful in the pursuit of connection with others and the process of self-discovery and character development, reinforcing values and virtues such as resilience, courage, gratitude, and humility. We saw this demonstrated by the Wimbledon men's singles finalists and top two players in the world, Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz, whose speeches were remarkably similar and based largely on gratitude, humility and accepting loss. Alcaraz clarified that losses hurt but were 'not failures' and Sinner emphasised how important it had been to 'accept' his loss a few weeks earlier at the French Open. They had given everything to win Wimbledon but were both immediately grounded that who they are isn't changed by the result and that they are playing a bigger game. Performance sport shows us contenders at the top of their game whose incredible feats of human possibility now go beyond the field of play. As Sinner said just after holding the Wimbledon trophy for the first time: 'We just keep pushing and trying to become a better tennis player, but mostly a better person.' That's the way to find the mental edge, whatever game you're playing. Guardian
