British Open
British Open 2024: Shane Lowry was not exactly thankful for this incredibly fortunate bounce at the 11th hole
ANDY BUCHANAN
Shane Lowry's chances of winning a second claret jug nearly went up in smoke on Saturday at Royal Troon's par-4 11th, a hole that's given the Irishman plenty of reason to lose his cool this week. Could say the same for the rest of the field, too.
But it's really picked on Lowry, who made a double bogey on the hole Friday that included a provisional ball that he had to abandon when a spectator found his original ball in some gorse left of the fairway. On Saturday, Lowry's ball was headed for that same gorse, only this time he was hitting his second shot out of the fairway, not the knee-high fescue down the right side.
Lowry's second shot was a dead pull at the 11th in his third round, likely a product of the super-wet conditions and some back-nine pressure. As his ball motored toward potential disaster, a guardian angel in the form of an inside-the-ropes broadcaster/reporter got in the way. The ball ricocheted off the broadcaster's leg and nestled in the short rough just off the fairway. Week: saved.
An all-time break. The type you remember years from now when looking back on a championship. The type you drop to your knees, look to the heavens and thank almighty God for.
Instead, after proceeding to chunk his third shot well short of the hole, Lowry could be heard on the NBC broadcast saying "buddy, in the future, don't stand in the ..." before the sound cut out. According to No Laying Up, this is how the rest of that sentence sounded, possibly on a different feed:
On Friday, Lowry also unleashed a NSFW rant on the exact same hole in the direction of a cameraman.
Lowry did manage to save bogey at the 11th, but bogeys at the 12th and 14th holes have seen his lead completely disappear. He's now in the position of chaser at three under, two back of leaders Billy Horschel and Daniel Brown.
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