Oakmont Country Club has claimed many victims over the years. Even Tiger Woods was not spared from the tall grasses of the course the last time he played there. You can also ask Justin Thomas about his experience at the Pennsylvanian course. He will tell you how exhausting it has been over the last couple of days, as fans saw him miss the cup thrice from 4 feet away. He was not the only one who couldn’t maintain focus in the grueling conditions at the 2025 U.S. Open course.

Another victim of the challenging Oakmont course was Shane Lowry. But it wasn’t the greens that put him to the test. The Irishman got strokes added to his score because of absent-mindedness after facing the wraith of the fast-rolling grass. Lowry had already scored 4 bogeys and a double bogey by the time he reached the 14th hole. He was 14 over par when his approach shot landed 55 feet away from the cup. In a moment of ignorance while lining up his putt, he picked up the ball. The only problem was, he didn’t mark the spot before doing so. Realizing his mistake, he put the ball back on the green and grinned as he saw Rory McIlroy have a laugh about it.

Not long after, Lowry was penalized by 1 stroke. Speaking to a reporter after the round, the Irishman confessed, “I just picked the ball up. Had the ball in my hand and then turned around to Darren. He basically said to me, ‘What you doing?'” Darren Reynolds, his caddie, was clearly perplexed about what his boss had just done. He rightfully questioned Lowry before putting it back down. In his own words, the 3-time PGA Tour winner stated, “I put it back down and marked it, and played on. It was going to be a penalty. I didn’t know if it was going to be 1 or 2.”

He knew what was coming for him, and he didn’t fight it. Lowry understood the severity of his mistake and was penalized 1 stroke for it. Explaining why he picked it up, he admitted, “Maybe I was just… My mind was somewhere else. But I fought. I still tried. I fought over every shot. That’s all you can do as far as a week like this goes.” Despite the added stroke, Lowry didn’t throw a fit of anger. Maybe it was because he already knew that he was missing the cut, and that helped him remain calm. But he was a little more emotional during the interview after the round. It seemed that he was exhausted from fighting against Oakmont, as he mentioned.

Having said that, not everyone has been able to maintain their composure on the course like Shane Lowry. Let’s see how Oakmont Country Club has gotten in the heads of even the best golfers in the world.

Shane Lowry endures where others fail

There are a few golfers who can learn how to tackle such frustrating episodes on the course, like Shane Lowry. One of them could be his close friend, Rory McIlroy. The fellow Irishman from the North who had more than one negative episode at Oakmont Country Club. After an iron shot on the 12th, he threw his golf club in frustration as he saw the ball heading towards the tall grass. McIlroy lost his cool again on the 17th tee when a bad drive led to him smashing the tee box into pieces. Fans were upset to see him take out his anger on the course and called for penalties.

Another individual who has been able to keep his cool at Oakmont is Scottie Scheffler. The #1 ripped out a piece of the fairway after an approach shot on the 14th rolled from beside the hole to 40 feet away from it. He was also seen taking out his frustration on his coach, Randy Smith, on the range after he suffered a bad round of his own. Jon Rahm was also heard throwing the F-bomb on the green after a missed putt.

Compared to the outburst of the above-mentioned players, Shane Lowry’s comical error and the grin that followed are acceptable. Wouldn’t you agree?