RIDGELAND, S.C. – Shane Lowry claims it was an accident, and who are we to question the former Champion Golfer of the Year.
But he broke his putter on the ninth hole during the first round of the CJ Cup in South Carolina.
Apparently, it wasn’t serious enough to disrupt a bogey-free 3-under 68 on Thursday at Congaree Golf Club. He took 31 putts on the day but only needed 14 of them on the back nine, which he played in 2 under. For the round, he lost a little more than a stroke to the field on the greens, ranking 54th of 78 players in the field this week in Strokes Gained: Putting.
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However, there are three more rounds to go and he’s T-15 and only three strokes off the lead in an event with a purse of $10.5 million dollars and a winner’s check worth $1.89 million.
Accidentally broke my putter on the 9th hole today…Hour drive to get a replacement. Thanks to the staff at the PGA Tour Superstore in Bluffton for their help.
pic.twitter.com/9hpfhDtg1J
— Shane Lowry (@ShaneLowryGolf) October 20, 2022
Unfortunately for Lowry, the equipment trucks that have a weekly presence on the PGA Tour close up shop on Wednesday afternoon and typically head for the next event. (In this case, the next event is in Bermuda). So needing a quick fix, the burly Irishman who won the 2019 British Open at Portrush, did the next best thing – he drove an hour to Bluffton and the closest PGA Superstore and got a replacement – a right-handed, 35-inch Odyssey White Hot OG 2-ball putter. Price: $229
Whatever it takes, right?
Asked on Twitter “how do you accidentally break a putter,” Lowery replied, “long story but was an accident.”
— Shane Lowry (@ShaneLowryGolf) October 20, 2022