Shane Lowry rips ‘ESPN guy’ after divot outburst at PGA Championship

The reason behind Shane Lowry losing his cool at the PGA Championship on Friday has become a bit clearer.

Following the incident, Lowry, 38, who missed the cut, saidhe was not angry at the rules officials but rather a member of the ESPN broadcast team.

“It was just that the ESPN guy was a bit too in there involved when he wasn’t asked to be and that’s what annoyed me a lot,” Lowry told the Irish Independent. “I was just asking the referee, and the ESPN guy comes straight over and he’s like, ‘That’s not your pitch mark.’ And I’m like, ‘That’s not for you to talk about.’ That’s for me to call a rules official and decide what happens.

Shane Lowry hits a tee shot on the 18th hole during the second round of the PGA Championship on May 16, 2025. Getty Images

“I just said to the rules official, ‘What happens to the guy at 7:10 who’s not on ESPN Live?’ I guarantee you he’s down there arguing that’s his pitch mark. I don’t want a drop because it’s not my pitch mark. But I’m just saying. And it goes back to, I had a lot of mud balls again today.”

On the eight hole at the PGA Championship Friday, Lowry became frustrated after his ball found a divot and officials did not give relief for his tee shot.

The Irish golfer then proceeded to slice his club into the area around the divot, yelling out “f–k” before flipping off his ball after finishing the hole with a bogey.

The 38-year-old added that the pitch mark his ball was in appeared fresh, and that he wanted to be completely sure.

Shane Lowry looks on during the second round of the PGA Championship. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

“I wasn’t arguing that it was my pitch mark,” Lowry said. “I was trying to be 100% sure because imagine if I had to come in and all of a sudden somebody told me that was your pitch mark and there’s this one guy whose producers tell him it isn’t? … So, you need to be just careful about what you’re doing, because there’s so much at stake.”

Lowry’s fiery interaction with the ESPN reporter marks the second time he has scuffled with reporters this major season, as he snapped during the Masters after a question about Rory McIlroy.

“I’m not going to stand here and talk about Rory for 10 minutes,” Lowry said on April 12 at the Masters. “I’m trying to win the tournament, as well. I know that’s what y’all want me to talk about, but I’ve just had a s–t finish, I’ve got a chance to win the Masters tomorrow, and I’m going to go hit some balls.”