The 17th hole in Thursday’s opening round of the U.S. Open was an adventure for Shane Lowry as well as some unsuspecting microphones near the green.
Things started well enough for Lowry, who narrowly missed driving the green on the short par-four. But while his second shot was not much more than a short pitch, the rough at Oakmont, as it so often does, made things tricky. The “sticky” rough grabbed Lowry’s club as he tried to hit the shot, causing the ball to travel just a few feet, and short of the green. After a few moments, viewers saw — and heard — Lowry angrily throwing the greenside microphone out of the way.
As announcer Mike Tirico noted, viewers “got good audio of the mic-throw.”
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The television audience didn’t see Lowry’s next shot. That said, while he made better contact with his third shot, Lowry still missed the green. So, he went from nearly driving the green on a par-four to not even putting for par.
That said, while Lowry’s par shot was not a putt, it was also not far from the hole. Unlike the previous two shots, it was sitting up nicely in the fringe. Lowry took full advantage of that and chipped in.
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Despite the adventurous par save, the round was a struggle for Lowry. He finished with a 79 (+9) and in a tie for 135th place.
Lowry will need a fantastic round on Friday to make the cut. And given his tendency to wear his emotions on his sleeve, we’re guessing that no matter how well Lowry plays, Friday’s round will be worth watching.
