Tyrrell Hatton and Shane Lowry have both found themselves in trouble due to their conduct at the US PGA. The duo were caught on camera launching into expletive-laden outbursts during the second round at Quail Hollow, and are likely to face fines as a result.
Both Hatton and Lowry were among several high-profile players who struggled on the second day. Rory McIlroy barely made the cut on +1, with Hatton two strokes ahead of the Northern Irishman, while Lowry ended up on the wrong side of the line.
Ryder Cup player Hatton, 33, started his round on the back nine and encountered problems on the 18th hole. Sky Sports cameras captured the Brit shouting “Piece of s***” following an errant tee shot, after a previous four-letter tirade from Hatton in the opening round had already necessitated an apology from the broadcaster.
Lowry was spotted making an obscene gesture at the hole during a bogey as part of his round, with the Irishman also heard uttering “f*** this place”. He completed the second round in par, but his struggles in the first round meant he still missed the cut.
Both Hatton and Lowry are anticipated to be fined for their actions. After scoring a round of 73, Hatton provided further insight into his challenging round.
“You tell me, you’ve seen it,” Hatton responded when asked to explain his language on the 18th hole. “Either way it wasn’t my finest moment on the course but I mean yeah, running hot in the moment I’m pretty good at sometimes saying the wrong thing. So yeah, I’ll leave it at that.”
He acknowledged: “A great birdie on 17 but a poor tee shot really on 18 and then made some bad decisions. Making seven there was tough and I just unfortunately wasn’t able to make other shots coming back on the back nine and it ends up being a frustrating day.”
Hatton got off to a sterling start, shooting a three-under 68 in the first round to find himself tied for ninth. Amongst that group was Matt Fitzpatrick, who continued his fine form, replicating his performance to secure second place as the tournament reached its midpoint.
Jhonattan Vegas is still leading the pack after complementing his initial 64 with a 70. He’ll be joined by Mathieu Pavon in the final pairing on Saturday after the Frenchman carded a -6 to thrust himself into contention.
“Having been in this position before is a huge advantage,” commented Fitzpatrick, a past US Open victor. “I feel like there’s less pressure. I want to win another major and I’m looking forward to being in contention again.”