Lowry Penalized Two Strokes at The Open

Shane Lowry received a two-stroke penalty during the second round of The Open Championship after officials ruled he caused his ball to move in the rough on the 12th hole and failed to replace it, despite not seeing the movement himself. The penalty changed his round score from 70 to 72, moving him from 2-under to even par and impacting his standing in the tournament. The decision, based on video footage and confirmed by the R&A as visible to the naked eye, has sparked controversy over the use of forensic video in golf rulings. Lowry accepted the penalty to avoid accusations of cheating and negative online backlash, despite expressing doubts alongside playing partner Scottie Scheffler about the evidence. Golf commentators such as Paul McGinley called for a review of the rule, arguing that penalties should require clear, unaided-eye evidence. The incident has fueled debate about the fairness and consistency of video-based rulings in professional golf.