Shane Lowry has paid a heavy price for a bout of anger in learning moments before tee-off that his putter was unusable on day two of the Turkish Airlines Open.
Lowry had slammed shut the door of the scorer’s hut after Thursday’s opening round of 72 but then unbeknown to most he afterwards slammed down his putter and bent the shaft.
With no extra putters in his Maxx Royal clubhouse locker it was up to long-time caddy, Dermot Bray to ‘borrow’ a Ping putter from the Pro Shop.
However the putter, that Lowry described as the ‘flattest putter in Turkey’, did him little favours with Clara golfer recording 34 putts to be left at the terminal gate in 74th place in the elite 78-player Turkish Airlines Open field.
Shane Lowry with the ‘flattest putter in Turkey’. (Photo – Fran Caffrey/www.golffile.ie)
Four players – Frenchman Victory Dubuisson (65), South African Justin Walters (66), England’s Ian Poulter (66) and current European No. 1 Henrik Stenson (68) – share the lead on 12-under par.
World No. 1 Tiger Woods posted a nine under par 63 to be just a shot further back as he looks to win a regular European Tour event for a first occasion in four years.
Lowry’s round was a sour mix of four birdies but seven bogeys including five dropped shots from his fifth to 10th holes, and not helped by a far-from-friendly putter.
“It was just 10 minutes before my tee time, I whipped my putter out of the bag and it was bent,” he said.
“It was my own fault as I did it yesterday after the round. The head was bent, broke, unusable.
“Dermot and I were on the putting green, nearly eight minutes before we had to tee off and I said to Dermot, I need a putter, and he went and found a putter.
“But then I just couldn’t get the ball in the hole and that was the story of my day really.”
Lowry played the opening two rounds in the company of Scotland’s Paul Lawrie and Germany’s Marcel Siem and both players have promised him the use of one of their putters with Lawrie revealing he is travelling with eight putters.
“Normally I would have a couple with me and I often even pick up another one during a tournament but then Paul Lawrie mentioned to me on about the 11th hole, which wasn’t much use to me then, that he had about eight of them in his locker,” said Lowry.
“Marcel also said he had one if I wanted it.
“The problem is my putter is really, really upright, and I putt cack-handed and this pro shop putter was probably the flattest putter they’ve got in Turkey.
“Honestly, I had to use the conventional grip for the back nine because I was trying to putt cack-handed and couldn’t get the ball on line. I had to use a conventional grip which I haven’t used since I was 18.
“But as I said, it is a lesson I’ve learned, and you can only laugh about it, it is not the end of the world.”
Padraig Harrington heads the three Irish added a 70 to his opening round 68 to be sharing 25th place on seven under par, and delighted to have played the opening two rounds in the company of course designer Colin Montgomerie.
“Monty’s great and I always enjoy Monty’s company and no one likes to gets dogs abuse like Monty,” said Harrington smiling.
“We discussed a lot of things including various design aspects about the course.
“I hit a great down the fourth hole yesterday, and it was a super drive and miles down the fairway and then when I get there I am standing on a big down slope.
“I quizzed him about that and he just laughed. But every tree on the course, he’s hit it behind and we’ve been giving him grief, and he just got every bad break.
“So it is good fun playing with him. He’s also quite good at being teased. He loves it and nobody likes it more than Monty.”
And Damien McGrane posted scores of 70 and 73 to be back one under par.
“But while some of the greens may be a bit too tough for the amateurs the rest of the golf course is a good tournament golf course.
“We were joking there on 18 that maybe I will come back here next year and I will be in a hazard rather than the rough with the hazard being a bit tighter.
“He was talking about taking out a few trees also as he must have hit up against about five trees in the two days.
“But just think there is not too many people who get to call the golf courses after their name and that is quite impressive. Himself and Gary Player.”
