Shane Lowry blames TV commentator for late wobble at The Open as he shares lead with JB Holmes
SHANE LOWRY blamed a TV commentator for his late stumble in the second round of The Open.
The Irishman was one clear of the field when he sprayed his tee shot miles right off the 17th.
He found his ball in a patch of rough that had been trampled down by fans but needed a sharp up and down after his second shot bounded through the green.
Lowry would have been looking for a birdie on the 408 yard par 4, which is playing one of the more simple holes.
But he explained afterwards that his concentration was disrupted by a TV commentator.
Lowry, who shares the lead on eight under par with American JB Holmes, said: “There’s a little tented village with a TV screen about 80 yards from the tee box, and I could hear Jay Townsend commenting on my shot.
“Just on my backswing he said, He’s got 295 to the top of the hill. Yeah, that put me off. But I got lucky, I got a great break and managed to make par.”
Lowry, who is fighting to win his first Major, is also being philosophical about his chances of winning.
Tommy Fleetwood and Lee Westwood are breathing down his neck just a shot behind.
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And Lowry, who threw away a four-shot lead in the 2016 US Open, is trying to focus just on lapping up the crowd adoration.
He said: “Next week I’m playing in Memphis and there will probably be 10 men and a dog following me!
“I’m going out tomorrow with thousands of Irish watching me and I’m going to enjoy it.”