Shane Lowry Stays Cool, Leads at Royal Troon in British Open

Shane Lowry leads remained surprisingly calm during a tumultuous Friday at The Open, showing why he’s a champion.

A Day of Challenges

Royal Troon was relentless, causing havoc for many top players. Tiger Woods missed another cut, joining nine of the top 20 players in the world, including Rory McIlroy, Ludvig Åberg, and Bryson DeChambeau.

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Lowry faced his challenges—a distracting photographer, a shot into the gorse bush, and a double bogey that wiped out his two-shot lead. Despite these setbacks, he held his ground with two birdies in the last three holes, finishing with a 2-under 69. This performance left him with a two-shot lead over Justin Rose and Daniel Brown heading into the weekend.

Lowry’s Resilience

I was in control of my ball, did all the right things for a lot of the round, Shane Lowry said. “When I got in trouble, I finished the round well. I’m happy with the day. Leading this tournament after two days is why you come here.”

Big Names Struggle

The big surprise at Royal Troon was how many top players were eliminated. DeChambeau, with top 10s in all majors this year, managed only one birdie, finishing with a 75. McIlroy needed anything under par, but a triple bogey on his fourth hole led to a 75. Woods had a 77, missing the cut by eight shots.

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Lowry stood at 7-under 135, with only nine other players under par after two days of punishing wind from the Irish Sea. Brown, in his first major, managed a 72, placing him in the final group with Lowry. Rose, who qualified through 36-hole qualifying, made a strong finish with a 68.

The Weekend Ahead

Masters champion Scottie Scheffler found a pot bunker off the tee at the downwind 18th and made a bogey but remained solid with another 70, tied for fourth, five shots behind Lowry.

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I recognise day after today is going to be a long day, but I’ve achieved it before Shane Lowry leads. For me, it’s about playing my own game, shooting the nice rating I can, and no longer demanding approximately others.

Wild Scenes at Royal Troon

There were some dramatic moments. Justin Thomas, who opened with a 68, shot a 45 on the front nine but salvaged a 78 to cut. Robert MacIntyre, Scotland’s biggest star, was 8-over through four holes but played 4-under the rest of the way for a 75, making the cut.

The cut was set at 6-over 148.

A Tough Day for Many

Aguri Iwasaki had the worst day, taking a 9 on consecutive holes and shooting 52 on the back nine for a 91. McIlroy, needing a good start after a 78, hit a triple bogey on the fourth hole, effectively ending his hopes.

Other Contenders

PGA champion Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay were at 1-under 141, with Joaquin Niemann another shot back despite a quintuple-bogey 8 on the par-3 eighth hole. Niemann also made six birdies, finishing with an even-par round.

Lowry’s Focus

Lowry remained focused despite the chaos. A distraction by a photographer led to a penalty drop from the gorse bush, but he salvaged a double-bogey 6.

To be honest, I was happy enough leaving there with a 6, Lowry said. It wasn’t a disaster. I was still leading the tournament.

Eyeing the Claret Jug

Now, Lowry has a big opportunity to reclaim the claret jug. With Royal Troon’s ability to humble anyone, the weekend promises more excitement.

“I’ve played two solid rounds and it put me five shots back,” Scheffler said. I’ll continue to try to execute, hit good shots, and good putts.