- - - British Open: Shane Lowry in middle of golf rules conundrum

Jay HartJuly 19, 2025 at 2:51 AM

Did Shane Lowry cause his ball to move?

That's the question that remained immediately unanswered after Lowry's ball moved ever so slightly after a practice swing on his second shot at No. 11 during Round 2 of the British Open. Have a look:

pic.twitter.com/qv6oyBQJf5

— Golf Clips (@clips_golf) July 18, 2025

Lowry doesn't appear to be aware that his ball moved, and the only reason anyone saw it is because of technology. If it's determined that Lowry caused the ball to move, it would result in a one-stroke penalty.

An R&A rules official wasn't immediately sure if it was, in fact, Lowry who caused the ball to move or if it moved on its own, and really, how does one determine this with 100% certainty?

Does it look like Lowry caused the ball to move? Probably. But again, can anyone say this with absolute certainty?

The rules have been relaxed a bit when it comes to a ball accidentally moving. It's not a cut-and-dried one-stroke penalty. USGA rules, which the R&A recognizes, allow for leniency when it comes to "natural forces," which include water and gravity. The grass beneath Lowry's ball was certainly wet, as rain pelted Royal Portrush throughout the day.

As of now, Lowry carded a bogey 5 on the hole. That has him at -1 for the tournament ... for now.

Will he be assessed a penalty? That's yet to be determined.

As Lowry walked up the 15th fairway, the R&A informed him of the situation, telling him they will wait until the end of his round to view the footage with him, and then make a determination.

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Source: “AOL AOL Sports”