Shane Lowry Struggles With Illness And Penalties At The Open 2025

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Shane Lowry faced significant challenges at The Open, struggling with illness during a difficult third round. On Friday, he received a two-stroke penalty for moving his ball during a practice swing. This penalty shifted him from two under to even par. His performance on Saturday, with a three-over-par 74, did not help his slim hopes of making a comeback.

Despite battling a virus, Lowry did not offer excuses for his performance. "I wanted to do well so badly today and this week," he expressed to reporters, feeling downhearted. He added that he had invested much into the week, making the outcome hard to accept. When asked about his health, Lowry admitted, "No, not great. I haven't eaten today yet."

In contrast to Lowry's struggles, Lee Westwood made an impressive recovery after a poor front nine. He managed birdies on six of the last nine holes. His back-nine score of 29 matched the course record set by Ryan Fox in 2019.

Westwood ended the day five under par after narrowly missing a birdie putt on the 18th hole. Reflecting on his performance, he remarked humorously about his successful back nine and expressed disbelief at missing the final putt.

Lowry described trying to consume a protein drink after eight holes but felt nauseous instead. Despite these challenges, he was determined not to make excuses for his poor play and acknowledged having a bad finish.

He mentioned waking up at 2:30 with stomach cramps but remained focused on grinding through the day. "I felt like I ground it out really well to get to one-under for the day through 13," Lowry shared about his efforts before encountering setbacks on hole 14.

The Irish golfer emphasised that despite feeling unwell and having an unfortunate break on hole 14, he was committed to pushing through without blaming external factors.

The contrasting fortunes of Lowry and Westwood highlight the unpredictable nature of golf tournaments. While Lowry faced physical challenges that hindered his performance, Westwood's perseverance paid off with an impressive comeback.