What a Low blow
EX-OPEN CHAMPION SLAMS USGA FOR CHANGING COURSE CONDITIONS LATE ON FRIDAY ... AND HE THEN MISSED CUT
SHANE LOWRY has blasted US golf chiefs for giving rivals a leg up at the US Open.
The 2019 Open champion was fuming as he bowed out at Brookline at the half way stage after watching USGA officials watering the greens for the afternoon players.
Lowry was out early and finished on the cut mark at four over par – before watching the later starters enjoy a birdie blitz on the softer surfaces after officials used sprinklers in the afternoon.
Greens are generally only watered before the start of each round rather than during play, unless there are extreme conditions.
But the Country Club in Boston has been relatively cool this week until it heated up in the second round.
The likes of Rory Mcilroy, Collin Morikawa, Jon Rahm and Joel Dahmen made the most of the break by blasting to the top of the leaderboard going into the weekend – while the lower scoring left Lowry packing his bags after ending up just one shot above the cut line.
The Irish ace used his Instagram account with a pic of greenskeepers out with the hoses on the 13th green and he roared: “In what stratosphere is this fair USGA?” American golf chiefs – who are no strangers to US Open controversy over course set ups – refused to be drawn in to a slanging match but they are plotting to trick up the Boston beast for tomorrow’s final round.
Officials reckon the course was too tame in the first few days and with the forecast hotting up, are determined to test the very best by tucking flags in tight corners and speeding up the greens.
Championship chief John Bodenhamer said: “There are lots of last-minute tweaks and changes because I think what we do is all dependent on the weather.
We have a strategy. We have a plan.”
It’s not the first time players have taken aim at the USGA for the set up at the US Open. Shinnecock Hills in 2004 was infamous after officials stopped
watering the surfaces – and it left the course almost
unplayable. Retief Goosen eventually triumphed on a wild final day where average scoring shot to 78.
Colin Montgomerie and Ian Poulter slammed the state of the greens at Chambers Bay in 2015 while Shinnecock was back in the firing line for unfair flag positions in 2018 – where Phil Mickelson putted while his ball was still moving to stop it rolling off one of the ultra slick surfaces.
Mickelson claimed the two shot penalty was better than attempting the game shot over and over again.
He said: “I’ve played 29 US Opens. One hundred percent of time they have messed up if it doesn’t rain.”
Lowry also battered the beaks for the rough at the US Open at Torrey Pines 12 months ago – but not for the state of the greens. He said: “There’s a lot of times where you get around the greens and missing the green and it’s a bit of a hit-and-hope and a bit of luck.”