Shane Lowry Frustrated After ESPN Reporter Disrupts Key Moment at PGA Championship

Shane Lowry’s second round at the 2025 PGA Championship ended in heartbreak—and controversy. The former Open Champion missed the cut by a single stroke after a brutal break on the 8th hole at Quail Hollow, where a poor lie led to a bogey and an emotional outburst. But according to Lowry, an unexpected source added fuel to the fire: an ESPN on-course reporter.

Frustration Boils Over After Unlucky Lie

Lowry had battled his way through Friday’s round, sitting right on the cut line at one-over as he approached the short, scoreable par-4 8th. He striped his tee shot down the fairway, only to find his ball resting in the bottom of a deep divot.

Trying to clarify the situation, Lowry called in a rules official. Relief is only granted if the ball settles in your own pitch mark—not just any divot. As the rules official arrived, things took a turn.

Club Slam, Curses—and a Costly Bogey

Lowry’s shot from the divot flew offline and landed in a greenside bunker. Furious, he shouted “F— this place!” and slammed his club into the ground. He went on to bogey the hole, ultimately finishing at two-over—just outside the cut.

Lowry: ESPN Reporter Crossed the Line

Speaking to reporters after the round, Lowry revealed that the tense moment was made worse by an ESPN reporter who intervened inappropriately during the ruling.

“I was just asking the referee, and the ESPN guy comes straight over and he’s like, ‘That’s not your pitch mark,’” Lowry said. “I’m like, ‘That’s not for you to talk about.’”

Lowry emphasized that he wasn’t looking for an undeserved break—he just wanted to make sure the rules were applied fairly with so much on the line.

“I don’t want a drop if it’s not my pitch mark. But with everything at stake, I needed clarity. It was just that the ESPN guy was too involved, and that really annoyed me.”

Quail Hollow Struggles Continue, But Lowry’s Season Remains Strong

Lowry acknowledged that Quail Hollow has never been kind to him—calling it “one of the only venues that I’ve never played well at.” But his 2025 season has been encouraging.

In 12 starts, he’s already posted two runner-up finishes and four top-10s, including a strong showing at last week’s Truist Championship.

And there’s more to look forward to. In two months, The Open Championship returns to Royal Portrush—where Lowry famously lifted the Claret Jug in 2019.

Bottom line: Shane Lowry’s missed cut at the PGA Championship wasn’t just a case of bad luck—it was compounded by what he sees as an avoidable distraction. But with his game trending upward and Portrush on the horizon, the Irishman’s season may still be building toward a major moment.