The Open: Foul-mouthed Shane Lowry given two-shot penalty for breaking golf rule

Shane Lowry says he is 'very disappointed' after he was assessed a two-shot penalty during the second round of The Open. 

Lowry fell foul of the golf rules on the 12th hole at Royal Portrush in Northern Ireland when it was determined he accidentally caused his ball to move. 

The 2019 winner of the Claret Jug was making a practice stroke before playing his second shot when his ball moved a smidge in the rough. 

Footage of the moment was shared widely and debated furiously by golf fans on social media but it wasn't immediately clear if the moment was being looked at by the R&A. 

Lowry, who was playing with 54-hole leader Scottie Scheffler and Collin Morikawa, made bogey on the hole but was only informed of a possible infraction on the 15th fairway. 

The 38-year-old debated what happened with tournament officials and his playing for 20 minutes at the conclusion of his round. 

It was then determined he had caused his ball to move and was docked two strokes, taking his score from 2 under to level par. 

Lowry still made the cut, but he told reporters that he believed tournament officials had already made up their mind before he offered his two cents. 

He said he simply had to accept the decision but it was clear that he had mixed feelings about what transpired. 

Lowry said he accepted the penalty because he did not want to be slaughtered online and labelled a cheat. 

"I didn't know anything happened until walking up the 15th fairway and then the rules official came over and told me that there was a possibility the ball moved on the 12th for my second shot," said Lowry.

"So I said... I've asked him, how many shot penalty is that if it did, and he said, two. Obviously then I feel like I'm on the cut mark then, which is not very nice. 

"I feel like I played well on the way in and then obviously waited to see."

Lowry added: "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 [they had] zoomed in slow motion [and] 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.

"But I had to take the penalty because [well] 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's obviously very disappointing. I felt like I played really, really well today. And yeah, that's hard to take. 

"Look, I'll just have to dust myself off and get out there tomorrow and give it a go."

A reporter suggested to Lowry that 'it must feel unfair'. 

"A little bit, but I'm not going to... 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."

Lowry reiterated he did not see his ball move. 

"If the ball moved, I would have called it on myself," he said. 

"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."

The moment resurrected memories of the rules fiasco that surfaced during the final round of the 2016 US Open. 

Dustin Johnson was told on the 12th tee box, whilst holding a two-shot lead, that he might receive a penalty for causing his golf ball to move on the fifth green but no decision was going to be made until his round concluded.  

Lowry was asked how he felt about being told on the 15th fairway that the incident was under review. 

"I wasn't sure," Lowry said. "I don't know to be honest. Like I always say, I'm going to have to sit back and kind of think about this now before I go to bed tonight. 

"But yeah, I wasn't sure because obviously you want to know if you're on the cut mark, but I went from feeling like if I can make two or three birdies on the way in, which I felt like 15 and 17 were good chances, that I can push up that leaderboard. 

"And then all of a sudden I'm playing 16, 17, 18 feeling like I'm on the cut mark, even though I was very happy to birdie 15. 

"That was a big birdie for me after what happened.

"But yeah, I'm just going to have to take it. It's a bad break. And move on."

Watch the moment here:

Shane Lowry drops massive F-bomb

That wasn't the only notable incident during Lowry's second round. 

On the hole prior, hot mics picked up the Irishman making a comment many deemed disrespectful. 

Lowry hit his drive left and in a moment of frustration could be heard saying: "F--- off! F--- this place." 

He dropped a stroke on the hole but managed to make amends with a superb birdie four holes later. 

But the moment of frustration clearly left an impression. 

It was a bizarre comment to make, some suggested on X, given Royal Portrush was the scene of Lowry's biggest achievement in the sport. 

Lowry lifted the Claret Jug amid jubilant scenes in 2019 with a dominant victory at the Dunluce links. 

Thousands of fans have followed Lowry and Masters champion Rory McIlroy this week. 

Last July, a stunning new mural of Lowry was unveiled in the town of Portrush. 

"You give a guy a mural and he still doesn't like this place," one X user joked. 

"He's done this at every major this year," another added. 

The comment was referencing the fact Lowry was left seething after he was denied relief after his golf ball came to rest in another player's pitch mark during the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. 

Lowry made the same remark and slammed his club into the ground on that occasion. 

He also let his temper get the better of him during the US Open at Oakmont last month. Lowry flipped his middle finger at a microphone and tossed it away in frustration after a sequence of bogeys. 

Watch the moment here:

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