Shane Lowry was given a two-stroke penalty after the second round of the Open Championship at Royal Portrush Golf Club on Friday.
Lowry was determined to have caused his ball to move while taking a practice swing in the rough ahead of his second shot on the par-5 12th hole.
Lowry’s score on the hole was changed from a par to a double bogey by the R&A’s Rules Committee using Rule 9.4.
Lowry, who won the 2019 Open Championship, stated that he was made aware of a potential rules infraction against him by a rules official as he was walking up the 15th fairway.
Shane Lowry shares his thoughts on penalty
“I wasn’t arguing my case, but I was disappointed that they don’t have more camera angles on us,” Lowry told reporters. “… I have to take the penalty because I can’t have my name talked about or tossed around like that. I’ll get on with it.’
The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.