Shane Lowry breaks putter, drives 100 miles to buy a replacement ahead of second round of CJ Cup

ByAlex Livie

Published 21/10/2022 at 17:23 GMT

The putter is the most important club in the bag for the vast majority of players as no matter how well you drive the ball, the money is made on getting the ball into the hole. Shane Lowry had a putter malfunction during the first round of the CJ Cup at Congaree Golf Club in South Carolina, and took the drastic step of making a dash to a shop to buy himself a replacement.

Shane Lowry has put in some unwanted miles on the PGA Tour this season, and was at it again on Thursday after breaking his putter during the first round of the CJ Cup.

The Irishman said he "accidentally" broke his wand on the ninth hole at Congaree Golf Club.

"Accidentally broke my putter on the ninth hole today,” he said. “Long story, but it was an accident.”

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With no replacement available at the course, Lowry was left with the choice of using a different model - or getting on the road and travelling to buy a new one.

In true Shane Lowry style, he got in the car and went on a 100-mile road trip to find a replacement.

Lowry has form for making unnecessary trips (this one was arguably necessary as the putter is the most important club in the bag), as earlier in the season he travelled home after thinking he had missed the cut at the Wyndham Championship.

With Lowry on his way home, some bad weather in the Greensboro area blew the late finishers off course and the cut line moved.

It resulted in Lowry making the cut for the weekend, and he had to shell out for a private jet to get back to Sedgefield Country Club for his Saturday tee time.

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Returning to the present day, if you saw a man who looked a little like Shane Lowry perusing the putter section at the PGA Tour superstore in Bluffton, it was in fact Shane Lowry.

And the trip proved to be a successful one, as Lowry got his hands on a replacement putter.

Lowry recorded the trip to get his new putter for posterity, and also confirmed he paid full price for the new short stick.

What he didn’t reveal was the club he used on the greens during his back nine at the CJ Cup on Thursday.

Whatever it was, it did not do him too much harm as he carded an opening round of 68 to sit at three-under.

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