OPEN SHUT

Lowry's hopes dashed by two stroke penalty

- BY MICHAEL SCULLY

FROM the ecstasy of Portrush 2019 to the agony of yesterday on the same links - Shane Lowry was left shocked by the two-shot penalty that put the cap on a frustrating second round at The Open.

It was already a tough evening for the former Claret Jug winner when he was approached on the 15th fairway by an official and told the R&A were examining footage of a practice swing on 12 that caused his golf ball to move slightly.

Lowry still birdied the hole to move to two-under par for the tournament but, just over an hour later, he was accepting the two shot penalty to move back to level par - 10 shots behind his playing partner Scottie Scheffler, the new Open pacesetter and just one inside the cut mark.