The British Open at Royal Troon faced extreme weather conditions on Saturday, with rain and strong winds making scoring difficult for players in the afternoon wave. Despite the challenging conditions, most players accepted the circumstances, knowing there was little they could do against Mother Nature. However, 2019 Open champion Shane Lowry expressed his frustration with the set-up provided by the R&A, feeling that the players could have been given a break.
Lowry, who started the day as the leader, struggled in the difficult conditions and eventually finished with a 77, dropping him to ninth place heading into the final round. He questioned the fairness of the test faced by players and criticized the decision to roll back distance gains in golf. Lowry pointed out that some tee positions were not adjusted to account for the challenging weather conditions, making it even harder for players to navigate the course.
Several players, including Lowry and Tyrrell Hatton, suggested that the tee positions should have been moved up at Royal Troon to make the test more fair. However, with players struggling to reach par 4s with fairway woods and the need for drivers on par-3s, it was evident that the set-up was too challenging for the conditions. Despite his frustrations, Lowry acknowledged that he still believed he could win the tournament and was just finding it difficult to process his round after such a tough day on the course.
The debate over whether the event should be called the British Open or the Open Championship continues, with many American fans referring to it as the British Open. This ongoing discussion has led Golf Digest to use both names in its coverage of the event to accommodate different preferences. Overall, the weather conditions at Royal Troon made for a challenging day of golf, with players like Shane Lowry struggling to cope with the tough set-up and extreme elements. As the final round approaches, it remains to be seen how the players will adapt to the conditions and if the course set-up will be adjusted to provide a fairer test for all competitors.
