Shane Lowry, the Irish golfer who is dearly adored by his fans, recently faced criticism over his conduct during his time at Royal Troon. He was seen losing his temper after he drove a ball into a bush on the 11th hole, blaming a cameraman in a rather suspect manner. He later took responsibility for his own misktake with the shot but it didn’t quite seem that way initially.
Lowry had a bit of luck on the same hole the next day when a poorly executed iron shot hit a commentator’s foot thereby avoiding the gorse bushes. However, he was later criticised for his coarse words towards the individual who got hit. Lowry’s remarks about Royal Troon being overly challenging after scoring a gruelling 77 also didn’t go down too well. Former golfer, Paul McGinley outrightly dismissed his criticism of the course as “nonsense”.
While many are drawn to Lowry’s expressive manner on the field, he may need to manage his frustrations better particularly during challenging moments, or he may be labelled as short-tempered.
Elsewhere, the 8th hole of Royal Troon saw many take hits. Known as the Postage Stamp – a globally recognised par 3 – it’s the shortest hole and seemingly a simple task for professionals. However, dangers surrounding the fairway mean any inaccurate shot can become a disaster. Golfer Joaquin Niemann found this out the hard way on Friday as he ended up in three bunkers rendering him an eight, meanwhile Aguri Iwasaki from Japan made a nine. Xander Schauffele, the champion, managed to birdie the hole thrice, which possibly handed him the tournament.
After a turbulent time at The Open, it’s clear Shane Lowry has some lessons learned in keeping his feelings in control. Despite these trials, he’s still looking ahead and aiming for an Olympic medal following his generally successful year in the Major tournaments.
Xander Schauffele disrupted his trajectory to claim the Open championship, demonstrating a significant shift in his mindset. Both of Ireland’s major contenders, Rory McIlroy and Lowry, were adversely impacted by the notorious Postage Stamp hole. McIlroy, who began his tournament steadily at even par, faltered after achieving a double bogey at the Postage Stamp, ending his game with a +11 total. Lowry seemed well-positioned having struck every green and having assumed the tournament lead. However, his misdirected shot into a difficult bunker resulted in a double bogey which cost him outright leadership, a position he never regained.
The question arises: should Schauffele or Scheffler be considered for player of the year? One must decide whether breaking records and winning one Major, as Scheffler has, outweighs victorious pursuit of two Majors, as Schauffele has achieved. Until Schauffele’s Open win, there was no doubt about the PGA Tour Player of the Year being Scheffler. The narrative becomes intriguing as the last instance of someone clinching two Majors yet not being declared Player of the Year was with Jack Nicklaus in 1980. Tom Watson won seven rounds and one Major that year, paralleling Scheffler’s current record. Sports journalists Alan Shipnuck and Shane Ryan reckon Schauffele will be deeming the accolade regardless of the remainder of this season’s events.
The possibility of an unexpected Major winner was raised in 2024 when Daniel Brown led the Open on Saturday evening. Despite no mentionable performance history and being ranked beyond the top 250 globally, Brown was in his first Major, mirroring Ben Curtis’s unexpected win in 2003. Unfortunately, his position plunged after he scored bogey-double bogey late on Saturday, leading to his 10th-place tie, positioned behind Schauffele.
Xander Schauffele, now second on the global golfing leaderboard, triumphantly won his second significant tournament for the year. The renowned Masters was won by the top-ranked player in the world, Scottie Scheffler. Bryson DeChambeau ranks ninth globally, a position primarily attributed to LIV’s inability to accumulate ranking points. He was ranked fifth in the betting stakes prior to his victory at the US Open, conquering the third-best player Rory McIlroy. This year, no significant tournament victors had pre-event betting odds worse than 14-1.
From 2002 through 2004, a succession of dark horse victors emerged, including Shaun Micheel, Rich Beem and the duo, Curtis and Todd Hamilton. Although Wyndham Clark and Brian Harman were not among last year’s favourites to win their major tournaments, one must travel further back in time to find a surprising major tournament victor as the world’s best players have become proficient at claiming the grandest tournaments.
Saturdays have become a reminder of the unpredictable nature of links golf. The penultimate round at Royal Troon presented a challenging day with its windy, wet, arduous conditions, making it a challenging endeavour for the top-ranked golfers. Scheffler stated that it was the most strenuous nine holes he has ever confronted. Jamie Kennedy, a Golf Digest correspondent, elaborated on the impact of wind and rain on driving distances. Schauffele’s Saturday 241-yard drive on the 15th hole was a significant drop from a 384-yard drive the previous day, with a difference of 143 yards. On Friday, Jon Rahm drove the ball an impressive 402 yards in favourable wind conditions; his drive reduced to 262 yards the following day due to the weather. Even Lowry, striking two driver shots on the par 4, ended up 51 yards short of the green. Indeed, an arduous test for the competitors.