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The 42
19-07-2025
- Sport
- The 42
'It was very strange' - McIlroy's wild third round at the Open features bizarre two-ball trick
RORY MCILROY ADMITTED a moment on the 11th hole of his third round at the Open Championship was one of the strangest moments he has ever encountered on a golf course. McIlroy shot an electrifying 66 that featured one bogey – on the 11th – and that dropped shot was preceded by a bizarre moment in which he seemed to hit two balls at once. McIlroy's tee shot went wide right and landed in the rough, and when he played his second shot, the follow-through kicked up a long-buried ball beneath the long grass. The ball kicked up and hit his foot, at which point he looked down in bafflement, picked up the ball and looked at it in amazement, and then tossed it away. Advertisement Have you ever seen anything like this?! 😂 — Fried Egg Golf (@fried_egg_golf) July 19, 2025 'My ball came out so strange, like I thought I was going to get a flier, and I looked up at my ball and I could see it spinning up against the wind', said McIlroy. 'Just a really weird. . . I had obviously no idea there was a ball anywhere close to my ball. 'It's never happened to me before. It could never happen on any other course but a links course as well. When the rough is all matted down and the balls get – it was very strange.' McIlroy came to life on moving day, opening birdie-birdie-par-birdie before his momentum stalled with agonising missed putts on five and seven. He followed his bogey on 11 with his best moment of the day: a snaking, 55-foot putt for eagle on the 12th hole. 'The eagle on 12 was one of the coolest moments. It's one of the largest roars I've ever heard on a golf course. So that was a really cool moment. To get those shots back straight away was nice, and I felt like I played the last few holes really solid and picked one up coming in, which was good.' A 66 was good by anyone's measure. . . aside from Scottie Scheffler, who shot an unerring four-under par to take a three shot lead into the final day. McIlroy, having started seven back, ultimately made up only a single shot on Scheffler. 'I rode my luck at times, but yeah, it was an incredible atmosphere out there. I feel like I've at least given myself half a chance tomorrow. 'He's playing like Scottie. I don't think it's a surprise. Everyone's seen the way he's played or plays over the last two or three years. He's just so solid. He doesn't make mistakes. It looked like he could have made bogey on 14 there. 'He's turned himself into a really consistent putter as well. So there doesn't seem to be any weakness there. Whenever you're trying to chase down a guy like that, it's hard to do. But he's incredibly impressive.'
Belfast Telegraph
18-07-2025
- Sport
- Belfast Telegraph
The Open: Shane Lowry facing potential penalty problem, new leader hits birdie blitz and Rory McIlroy insists he 'can challenge'
10 minutes ago According to the rules In Rule 9.4 of the Rules of Golf (the gospel of the sport) - if you cause your ball at rest to move then it is a one-stroke penalty and the ball must be replaced. If it is not replaced and you proceed to play the stroke, then it is a two-stroke penalty. By that video, it appears that Lowry moved his ball and then didn't replace it before playing his stroke, so that would be a two-stroke penalty. However, will they apply leniency because Lowry clearly didn't know that his ball had moved? 12 minutes ago Gareth Hanna World number one aiming upwards Scottie Scheffler fires it in to seven feet at the 13th, with Lowry and Morikawa further away, but also setting up makeable birdie putts. Scheffler could be about get back to -8 - and with five holes still to play. Edit: Scheffler tap, tap, taps it in and he's in a tie for second. No such joy for Lowry (-1). 17 minutes ago Gareth Hanna Lowry makes par... for now A routine two putt par keeps Lowry at -1 for the week but... what will come later regarding that practice swing controversy? It's just become the evening's talking point. 23 minutes ago Gareth Hanna Fitzpatrick safe on 15 The leader got a good drive away on the 15th and has slotted his approach onto the middle of the green. You'd have to say it's highly likely there's a two-putt par coming up to stay -9. 23 minutes ago Potential penalty problem for Shane I don't fully know the rules on this, so I'm not going to say for definite that he's in trouble here, but there is video evidence that as he took a practice swing from the rough on the par-five 12th that the impact of his club hitting the ground caused his ball to move - and quite obviously, too, there's no denying that's what happened. The only question is what is the ruling around it? Because an action that Lowry took caused the ball to move, is that considered a stroke? Is there no problem because it wasn't a stroke aimed at the ball? We will find out soon enough. Fried Egg Golf on Twitter / X Sure looks like Shane Lowry's ball moved on the practice swing here Fried Egg Golf (@fried_egg_golf) July 18, 2025 External contentWhen displaying external content, data is transferred to third parties. 27 minutes ago Gareth Hanna Is Tom making the cut? It's looking less and less likely as time goes on, unfortunately. He remains in a tie for 78th, needing eight players to drop to at least +3 to sneak in. The rain drying up doesn't do him any favours, either. 30 minutes ago Gareth Hanna A tester for the leader A poor approach from Fitzpatrick tickles off the right side of the 14th green. His chip pulls up over five feet short and he'll have that to stay at -10. And the first sign of trouble? The putt slips past as he gesticulates angrily at the green. It's a third drop shot of the day and he falls back to -9, now just one clear of clubhouse leaders Harman and Li. So really the heading to this post should be: Rory moves within six 35 minutes ago Adam McKendry West in show Lee Westwood looked to be in serious trouble on the 18th as he found the greenside bunker and had an awful lie, from which he could only push it to 27 feet beyond the hole - a good shot in the circumstances, it must be said. But it doesn't matter because he holes the putt back! Superb putt from the Englishman and he signs for a one-under 71 to head into the weekend level with Rory McIlroy at -3! 36 minutes ago Gareth Hanna What about Shane? He's been adopting a bit of a Brian Harman 'boring' style today, except with fewer birdies. It's now nine pars and one birdie (at the 3rd) for his opening 10 holes. However, that has now changed. Because he's made bogey. Turns out he had to hack out of rough - as did his playing partner Scheffler. Neither are able to save par from the back of the green and so Scheffler tumbles to -7, Lowry to -1. 40 minutes ago Adam McKendry 'I played the same... but I said I can't give up': Bryson DeChambeau on his 13-shot swing between his first round and second round which helped him make the cut What was the difference:"I played the same as I did yesterday. That's links golf for you. I executed pretty much the same shots as I did yesterday. I didn't feel like I played any different, today they just kind of went more my way. My wedges were just a fraction better and that was really it. Made a couple more putts. Just really felt like I was rolling it well today. There wasn't much different. That's why links golf is the way links golf is." What did you say to yourself:"I want to go home. But I woke up this morning and I said, you know what, I can't give up. My dad always told me never to give up, just got to keep going, and that's what I did today. I was proud of the way I fought back, really persevered through some emotionally difficult moments and to hold myself together and not get p****d and slam clubs and throw things and all that like I wanted to, like I was very proud of myself." 45 minutes ago Gareth Hanna Scheffler struggling for par at 11 I know what I was saying about slow rounds out there.... but if I was these guys now, I'd be going slowly to have to hit as few shots as possible before this rain goes off. It's torrential but is due to clear up shortly. In the mean time, it's definitely having an impact as the world number one has to chop out of thick rough left of 11. 48 minutes ago Gareth Hanna See? This is what I was saying about not wanting a Harman, English final pairing on Sunday... Brian Harman to continue his 'very boring approach' in bid for second Open title Former Open champion Brian Harman claims the name of the venue may have changed but his game is the same as he seeks to replicate his 2023 Claret Jug victory. 53 minutes ago Adam McKendry An ark just floated past the media centre That means the rain is back and it is hammering down in biblical proportions again. I really don't know how else to describe it, it is absolutely chucking it down and while it might be a short shower that last 10-15 minutes, it's really going to make things miserable out there for the players. Let's see how it affects them... Adam McKendry 'I feel really comfortable here': Clubhouse leader Brian Harman, who is at -8 after a second round 65 On the similarities between Hoylake and Portrush:"I feel really comfortable over here. I'm comfortable driving it. They're very different golf courses but the golf is similar. You've got to be able to flight your golf ball, you've got to know how far everything's going, then you can't get frustrated. You're going to get bad breaks, you're going to end up in funny spots where it doesn't seem fair and you just have to kind of outlast that stuff. Although the golf courses are different, the style of golf is very similar." His approach for Saturday:"I'll approach the weekend the same way (as 2023). The only thing I'm really worried about is the first tee ball tomorrow and then I'll try to hit the next one up there close to the flag. If not, go to the second hole. It's a very boring approach that I take. I'm not trying to be heroic or do anything crazy. I know that I've got the game to do it, and it's just a matter of executing and staying in my own head. I would love to have a similar weekend (to 2023) and just play great the whole way through. There's going to be challenges. This is a hard golf course. The pins have been in really, really tough spots, and you've really got to think your way around it. Inevitably you're going to mis-hit some shots and end up in spots you don't want to be in, and the way you handle that will determine the outcome of the tournament for sure." 58 minutes ago Gareth Hanna Fitzpatrick doing a Lowry? It's now FOUR consecutive birdies to start to the back nine for the Englishman who has opened up a two-shot lead at the top. He's now six under par for the day. A couple more birdies in his final five holes and he could yet match Shane's Saturday 63 from 2019. The Open on Twitter / X Into double digits with his fourth birdie has a two-shot lead. The Open (@TheOpen) July 18, 2025 Today 05:07 PM Gareth Hanna 'We love you Darren' A single fan's voice can be heard after a loud and lengthy round of applause, whoops and whistles subsides when Clarke reaches the green for what will be the final time this week. The 2011 champion is very well-liked by Northern Ireland's golfing public, and they're making sure he knows it. The man who now gives his name to the 9th hole on the Dunluce Links, is also remembered for beating Tiger Woods in the final of the 2000 WGC World Matchplay. He closes out his week with a bogey to finish +6, but these fans have enjoyed watching him play one more time. Today 04:59 PM NEW SOLO LEADER Matt Fitzpatrick is your new leader as he takes advantage of the short par-five 12th by hitting it in two and safely two-putting for the birdie that takes him to -9 and one clear of Brian Harman and Haotong Li! Over on the 18th green, as a half full stand awaits Darren Clarke, there was a gasp and a round of applause as the leaderboard was updated to send Fitzpatrick top. Today 04:57 PM Haotong joins clubhouse Li'd Haotong Li matches yesterday's 67 to tie Brian Harman 's clubhouse lead of eight under par. Unfortunately for them, it looks like Matt Fitzpatrick is about to go one shot clear as he's on the par five 12th in two. Today 04:56 PM Flag hunting Almost literally for Dustin Johnson as he takes aim with his second shot on the par-four 18th, it hits the green hard and bounces up... and hits the flag, dropping down a foot from the hole! Sometimes you get the breaks and that was certainly one of them - that will be a tap-in birdie for the two-time Major winner and he'll be in for the weekend at level-par!
Newsweek
14-06-2025
- Sport
- Newsweek
'F*** This Place,' Shane Lowry Penalized for Rare U.S. Open Error
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Day 2 at Oakmont Country Club was chaos. The course, already infamous for its punishing layout, pushed even the best in the world to the edge. Scottie Scheffler, the World No. 1, looked visibly rattled. Bryson DeChambeau, the defending champion, failed to find a rhythm. And just when it seemed like things couldn't get worse, the skies opened up. Heavy rain forced the suspension of round 2, pushing unfinished play into Saturday and leaving the course even more treacherous. But amid the weather delays and leaderboard shuffles, Shane Lowry delivered the most bizarre moment of the day. It was a rare and costly mental lapse that left even Rory McIlroy laughing in disbelief. Shane Lowry's 1-stroke penalty On Friday, Lowry was already battling through a rough round when the PGA Tour pro chipped his third shot onto the green. Then, in a moment that stunned even his caddie and friend Rory McIlroy, he picked up his ball without marking it. OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 13: Shane Lowry of Ireland looks on from the 18th green during the second round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 13, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania.... OAKMONT, PENNSYLVANIA - JUNE 13: Shane Lowry of Ireland looks on from the 18th green during the second round of the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 13, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. (Photo by) More Getty Images A clear violation of Rule 14.1a, which states that a player must mark the ball's position before lifting it, or face a one-stroke penalty. "I just picked the ball up," Lowry admitted later. "Had the ball in my hand and then turned around to Darren. He basically said to me, 'What you doing?'" His caddie, Darren Reynolds, looked at him in disbelief. "I put it back down and marked it, and played on," Lowry added. "It was going to be a penalty. I didn't know if it was going to be 1 or 2." Oakmont is taking its toll. Shane Lowry forgot to mark his ball on the 14th green before picking it up. — Fried Egg Golf (@fried_egg_golf) June 13, 2025 The mistake was so absurd that McIlroy, who had been struggling himself, throwing clubs and breaking tee boxes earlier in the course, couldn't help but burst into laughter. Even Justin Rose, their playing partner, cracked up. Lowry, to his credit, laughed too. "Probably one of the stupidest things I've ever done," Lowry expressed, wiping tears from his eyes while laughing, post-round. Shockingly, this wasn't the only Oakmont highlight around Shane Lowry. Earlier on Friday, after bogeying his first three holes, he stood at +13 heading into the par-5 4th. When a lip-out denied him a par save, he muttered what everyone was thinking: "F*** this place, F*** this place," a moment shared by @MattBellner on X. Golf is hard. Shane Lowry - 'F*ck this place, F*ck this place' - Unique opinion on Oakmont & the 2025 US Open. #USOpen2025 — Matt "Mattie 5" Bellner (@MattBellner) June 13, 2025 All the mess up ultimately led to the PGA Tour pro missing the cut on Thursday. Lowry carded a total of 78, bringing his total to 17-over 157 after round 2. Unfortunately, it was nowhere close to get above cut line, which settled at +7. Big names like Phil Mickelson, Bryson DeChambeau, Ludvig Aberg, Wyndham Clark too missed the cut. More Golf: PGA Tour Poaches Top NFL Executive as Tour's New CEO
National Post
13-06-2025
- Sport
- National Post
Frazzled Shane Lowry forgets to mark ball on green at U.S. Open
OAKMONT, Pa. — The U.S. Open at Oakmont can do many things to a player's mind, and apparently it did them all to Shane Lowry on Friday, when the burly Irishman forgot to mark his ball before picking it up on the 14th green. Article content After a stunned moment of bewilderment and an awkward glance at his caddie, Lowry smiled, took off his hat and wiped his brow before looking at his playing partner and friend Rory McIlroy and having a laugh. Article content Article content Oakmont is taking its toll. Shane Lowry forgot to mark his ball on the 14th green before picking it up. — Fried Egg Golf (@fried_egg_golf) June 13, 2025 Article content It likely wouldn't have been quite as funny had Lowry not teed off on the hole at 14-over par. Once the penalty was added to his bogey, the 2019 Open Champion walked to the 15th tee at 16-over for the week. Article content The rules of golf are quite lenient when it comes to marking your ball. You can mark it in behind the ball, in front of the ball, beside the ball. You can use a ball marker, or a coin, or a poker chip; you can even use a can of beer. Even holding your putter next to the spot while you clean your ball is okay, provided it doesn't move. Article content But you can't, and this part is quite clear, use nothing like Lowry did on Friday. Article content Before you get too wild, and we know many of you have tried, you also can't use objects you find on the green such as a twig, a leaf, or a stone. It has to be any artificial object 'used, worn or held by a player or player's caddie.'
Yahoo
12-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Alternate lines? Why players likely won't be driving balls down adjacent fairways this time at Oakmont
Alternate lines? Why players likely won't be driving balls down adjacent fairways this time at Oakmont OAKMONT, Pa. – It's been almost four years since the world's top amateurs zig-zagged their ways around Oakmont Country Club. Just don't expect that kind of right-brain strategy again. Nasty rough and a recent renovation led by Gil Hanse are expected to all but mitigate competitors at this week's U.S. Open opting to hit tee shots down adjacent fairways. Alternate lines were used by dozens of players on six tees during the 2021 U.S. Amateur, including Travis Vick, who was largely considered the trendsetter that week. By the time the championship reached match play, more than half the field were going down adjacent fairways while playing Nos. 1, 3, 9, 10, 11 and 14, though it's worth noting that the winner that week, James Piot, stuck to trying to find the short grass as originally intended. Advertisement 'I don't think that's going to be an issue,' said Hanse in a recent Fried Egg Golf interview. One longtime Oakmont member agreed, noting Hanse's changes 'made those plays more difficult.' 'The thing that will likely keep players from going cross country is the rough,' added the member. '… There really wasn't any penalty for playing from the rough in the Amateur. The penalty of the bunkers was much greater than the rough with the Amateur setup. That won't be the case this week.' Playing the par-4 first hole down the ninth fairway? The 5-inch rough deters that. Same for hitting down the first fairway from the ninth tee. Advertisement Going over the church pews and into the fourth fairway off the third tee? Not after some 30 yards were added and the famed bunker gained about 15 yards and an extra pew. The start of the 11th fairway ends earlier for those coming in from the 10th tee. 'There's no way to get a ball to stop on that hill unless it's sopping wet,' Hanse said. And on the way back, a new tee adds about 25 yards and makes the carry to the 10th fairway some 280 yards uphill. Jon Rahm, who competed in the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont, recently told a few players who played in that 2021 U.S. Amateur that there was "zero chance in this world that anyone goes to 11 tee and hits driver toward 10." "What I remember from the U.S. Open, that rough between 10 and 11 might have been the thickest on the entire property," Rahm added. "You were not advancing it anywhere. Same on 1, they were almost bailing left for whatever reason. It is very weird to see that happen because that is not the course I remembered." 2024 Oakmont Country Club U.S. Open 2025: Hole-by-hole look at Oakmont Country Club Advertisement A look at all 18 holes of this year's U.S. Open host, Oakmont Country Club. Finally, Hanse added about 20 yards to the par-4 14th hole and lowered that tee box about 6 feet, making the drive into the 12th fairway much more difficult, though that remains the most likely of the potential alternate plays, according to a couple caddies who have researched all options. The USGA, like it did in 2021, will not implement any internal out of bounds. So, it could happen, but probably not. 'We've looked at it in a few spots, but I think we're just going to stick to what the golf course tells you to do,' said long-hitting amateur Matt Vogt, who caddied at Oakmont about a decade ago and competed in the 2021 U.S. Amateur. 'That's what's cool about Oakmont is it's so well designed in spots, it just says, 'Hey, do this.' Sometimes it means hitting it dead straight in between a lot of junk, and it's almost simple in a way. It's like, you've got to do this or consequences.' Advertisement Added Rahm: "There's no chance you're doing that. If you are, you're taking a big risk obviously." But what about Bryson DeChambeau? Surely he's thought about it. Not so much. "But it's a great idea, thank you," DeChambeau said. "I'm going to go check that out now." Stay tuned.
