Jon Rahm Calls For Golf Rule Change After Shane Lowry Open Penalty

Jon Rahm has called for changes to golf rules following a controversial two-stroke penalty imposed on Shane Lowry during The Open at Royal Portrush. Lowry was penalized after officials reviewed television footage and concluded his ball moved slightly during a practice swing, a ruling Lowry accepted to avoid being labelled a cheat on social media, despite not seeing the incident himself. Rahm, who has experienced a similar situation, described the current rules as a 'no-win situation' where players risk penalties or accusations of cheating, emphasizing that penalties should only apply if infractions are visible to the naked eye rather than through video review. Rahm and Lowry's shared experience highlights concerns about fairness and clarity in the rules, with Rahm urging governing bodies to uphold the principle of visible infractions without camera evidence. Lowry's penalty dropped him significantly behind the leaders and was compounded by illness affecting his performance. Rahm maintained that while he supports rule changes, it remains unclear how modifications could be effectively implemented.