‘Nonsense’ – Shane Lowry told he will regret comments at The Open

Paul McGinley believes Shane Lowry will regret his criticism of the R&A’s Open setup at Royal Troon.

Lowry’s bid for a second Claret Jug somewhat unravelled in brutal Saturday conditions in south Ayrshire.

The 2019 Champion Golfer had a three-shot lead at one stage in the third round, but fell back into the pack after a costly back-nine that saw him sign for a six-over 77.

And Lowry questioned afterwards whether it was a fair fight, as he and his playing partner Daniel Brown were even forced to hit drivers off the par-3 17th in the relentless rain and howling winds.

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“Look, I don’t really know what to say,” a disheartened Lowry said after his third round. “It was a grind. It wasn’t much fun. Driver, driver into 15. 16 playing ridiculously long. Driver into 17.

“Then you’re standing on the 18th tee wondering if you can actually hit the fairway, if you can reach the fairway, and it’s 230 yards to the fairway. Bear in mind my driver pitched about 220 yards on the 17th hole.

“So, yeah, it’s not much fun out there. Circumstantial as well, it’s obviously very difficult. But you’d have to question why there wasn’t a couple of tees put forward today, to be honest.”

McGinley, however, did not concur.

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The Irishman was asked on the Golf Channel‘s ‘Live From’ show whether the tees should indeed have been pushed up to offset the stiff breeze players faced down the stretch in the third round.

“No. Nonsense,” he replied. “That’s links golf courses.”

It will also be noted that Saturday’s overnight leader Billy Horschel mustered a two-under par 69 in the same horrific conditions as Lowry.

“Yes, the guys at the end got screwed, and yes, the golfing gods decided to shuffle the pack by making the leaders play in the toughest weather conditions, but that’s the perils of playing links golf and that’s kind of part of what you have to accept,” McGinley said.

“Shane will regret that comment. I know what he’s like; he was hot when he came off. He let a great opportunity slip to win this tournament, and he knew that. He was hot, he had to do press, and he said things that I’m sure he has regretted because nobody loves links golf courses more than he does.”

Lowry did put himself back into contention with some early birdies on Sunday, but had to settle for a sixth place finish as Xander Schauffele stormed to victory in the final men’s major of the season.

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.