Golf

Five things we learned from the Open: Shane Lowry struggles to keep emotions in check

Offaly man takes flak as brutal links test at Royal Troon taxes the patience of world’s best players

Ireland's Shane Lowry reacts as he plays a shot from the rough on the 11th during day two of The Open at Royal Troon. Photograph: Owen Humphreys/PA Wire
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David Gorman
Mon Jul 22 2024 - 19:27
Lowry struggles to keep emotions in check

The love Irish fans have for Shane Lowry is almost unconditional, but he took criticism from elsewhere for some of his behaviour at Royal Troon last week. On Friday after hitting a ball into a bush at the 11th hole, he blamed a camera man, caught on video saying – “As I was over the ball I could just see you putting your f**kin’ camera up. Just get outta the way. Just get back there. F**k sake!” After the round, Lowry blamed himself for the shot, but in the heat of the moment it had not appeared that way.

On Saturday, again on 11, he got a slice of luck after a topped iron shot avoided gorse bushes when it hit a broadcaster’s foot. Later on the hole, No Laying Up reported he was heard saying “in the future, don’t stand in the middle of the f***ing fairway when we’re trying to hit, okay?”. Lowry also got criticism online for his comments after carding a 77 on Saturday that Troon was set up too difficult – which never comes across the best after you shoot the worst round of the leading players. Paul McGinley called Lowry’s criticism of the course set-up “nonsense”.

People love that Lowry wears his heart on his sleeve and is not a bog-standard, robotic player but it might be worth being more mindful of his behaviour in the heat of the moment, or risk getting a reputation for being hot-headed.

The Postage Stamp does not deliver for Irish hopes

The eighth hole at Royal Troon is one of the most famous par 3s in the world. Known as the Postage Stamp, it is only a wedge for the pros and the shortest hole on the course, but with danger lurking on all sides waiting for errant shots, it bared its teeth at the Open this week. Joaquin Niemann made an eight as he visited three bunkers in one hole on Friday, while Japanese player Aguri Iwasaki made a nine. Champion Xander Schauffele birdieing the hole three of the four days may have won him the tournament.

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Similarly, the Postage Stamp wrecked the scorecard of Ireland’s two main hopes, Rory McIlroy and Lowry. McIlroy missed the cut by some distance with a +11 total, so would hardly blame one hole, but he had started his tournament solidly at even par through seven holes on Thursday before a double bogey at the Postage Stamp seemed to rattle him, en route to a 78. On Saturday, Lowry had hit every green, and looked in control before teeing up as the tournament leader. But his pulled shot into a tough lie in the bunker led to a double bogey which took him out of an outright lead, which he never got back. He called it a “killer” after the round, it is hard to disagree.

Shane Lowry chips out of a bunker on the 8th during day three of The Open. Photograph: Jane Barlow/PA
Scheffler or Schauffele for player of the year?

Would you rather break records, be in line for a historic year for consistency and scoring, win the Masters, the Players Championship and four other top PGA Tour events?; or win two Majors instead of one?

There was no question who the PGA Tour Player of the Year was until Sunday when Schauffele complicated matters by winning the Open.

Both Scheffler and Schauffele have compelling arguments. The last player to win two Majors in a year and not win Player of the Year was Jack Nicklaus in 1980. That year Tom Watson won seven times and one Major, a similar resume to Scheffler today. It adds interest anyway to the conclusion of the PGA Tour season, although journalists Alan Shipnuck and Shane Ryan believe it is decided now in Schauffele’s favour no matter what else transpires this season.

Xander Schauffele of the United States poses with the Claret Jug on the 18th green. Photograph: Kevin C Cox/Getty
2024 was not the year of the underdog

When Daniel Brown took the lead at the Open on Saturday evening, the chance of an underdog Major winner became a real possibility. Like Ben Curtis in 2003, Brown was playing in his first ever Major, had no form to speak of with six missed cuts in his last eight events, and was outside the top 250 in the world rankings. Unfortunately for Brown, a bogey-double bogey finish on Saturday took him out of the lead and he ended up finishing tied 10th behind Schauffele.

The now world number two Schauffele won his second Major of the year, while world number one Scheffler won the Masters. Bryson DeChambeau is world number nine – but that is mainly due to LIV not getting ranking points – and he was fifth in the betting before he won the US Open, beating world number three Rory McIlroy. None of the Major winners this year were worse than 14-1 in the pre-tournament betting.

From 2002 to 2004, there was a series of wild underdog winners – Shaun Micheel, Rich Beem, Curtis and Todd Hamilton. While Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman were not among the favourites to win their Majors last year, you have to go back many years now for a truly shocking Major winner as the top players in the world have become clinical at picking off the biggest tournaments.

Saturday reminds us of the crazy variations in links golf

The third round at Royal Troon was a dog of a day – windy, wet, miserable and the ultimate grind for the world’s best players. Scheffler said it was the “hardest nine holes he’ll ever play”. Jamie Kennedy of Golf Digest noted how the wind and rain changed the driver distances. On the 15th hole, Schauffele’s drive of 241 yards on Saturday was down from 384 yards on the Friday – so 143 yards shorter. Jon Rahm drove the ball 402 yards downwind on Friday; on Saturday he hit it 262 yards. Lowry hit driver-driver into the par 4 and ended up 51 yards short of the green. Truly, a brutal test.