OAKMONT, Pa. (AP) — Shane Lowry had spent 32 holes being battered by Oakmont Country Club.
Then he made a mistake that couldn't be blamed on the course.
“Probably one of the stupidest things I've ever done,” he said.
Lowry was penalized a stroke Friday at the U.S. Open after he picked up his ball on the 14th green without marking it. The penalty stroke gave him a double bogey on the hole on his way to finishing at 17 over par for the tournament.
“I picked the ball up, had the ball in my hand, turned around to Darren (Reynolds, his caddie),” Lowry said. “He basically said to me, ‘What are you doing?’”
If nothing else, the gaffe gave Lowry something to laugh about during — and after — an otherwise miserable round. He shot 79 in the first round, even after holing out from 160 yards for an eagle on the par-4 third. He was one stroke better Friday.
Under Rule 14.1, it’s a one-stroke penalty for lifting the ball before first marking the spot. After realizing what he'd done, he and his playing partners, Rory McIlroy and Justin Rose, laughed, then Lowry asked a rules official what to do.
“Just put it back where it was?” he said.
He did, then barely missed a 55-footer that would have been for bogey, including the penalty.
Lowry played in the final group the last time the U.S. Open was at Oakmont in 2016. This time, he was already well on his way to missing the cut, which may have explained his carelessness on 14.
“I put it back down and marked it, and played on. I knew I was going to get penalized. I didn’t know whether it was going to be one or two,” Lowry said. “Maybe my mind was somewhere else.”
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Shane Lowry, of Ireland, reacts to his shot on the second hole during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Shane Lowry, of Ireland, tees off on the second hole during the first round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club Thursday, June 12, 2025, in Oakmont, Pa. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
BERLIN (AP) — Martin Terrier scored a contender for goal of the season as Bayer Leverkusen defeated local rival Cologne 2-0 in their 73rd Bundesliga derby on Saturday.
Arthur’s cross from the right was behind Terrier, but the French forward dropped down and looped the ball in over Cologne goalkeeper Marvin Schwäbe with the back of his heel to break the deadlock in the 66th minute.
Robert Andrich headed in from Aleix Garcia’s corner six minutes later to seal the win.
Leverkusen was without key players Patrik Schick and Álex Grimaldo but still boasted enough talent to create the greater chances against the visitors, who had injury-enforced absences of their own.
The win kept Leverkusen in fourth place, the last for Champions League qualification.
Ritsu Doan scored for Eintracht Frankfurt to end its four-game winless run across all competitions with a 1-0 win over Augsburg.
The Japan forward took the ball past two Augsburg defenders and unleashed his shot before he was closed down by two more. The deflection from a retreating defender took the ball beyond Finn Dahmen in the Augsburg goal in the 68th minute, setting off relief-tinged celebrations around the stadium.
Noahkai Banks briefly spoiled the mood when he equalized late, but the goal was ruled out for offside after a VAR check. It was the second goal that was ruled out for offside for the visitors in the game.
Frankfurt lost narrowly at Barcelona in the Champions League on Tuesday, after it was routed 6-0 at home by Leipzig in its previous game.
“The lads tried with all they had left in the tank,” Frankfurt coach Dino Toppmöller said of his team's busy schedule. “They were lacking that bit of freshness. It's been a grueling six months.”
St. Pauli overcame a harsh sending off to end its 10-game winless run with a 2-1 victory over relegation rival Heidenheim.
Pauli had Eric Smith sent off before the break when referee Sören Storks penalized him for a foul on Marvin Pieringer as the last defender, though TV replays showed the Heidenheim forward made the most of light contact and threw himself to the ground. There was no VAR intervention.
Martijn Kaars had already put Pauli ahead, and he stunned the visitors by scoring the second against the run of play early the second half.
Pieringer pulled one back later, but Pauli held on for its third league win of the season.
Wolfsburg’s revival under interim coach Daniel Bauer continued with a 3-1 win at Borussia Mönchengladbach. It stretched the team’s unbeaten run to three games.
Hoffenheim defeated promoted Hamburger SV 4-1 for its fourth straight home win.
AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Leverkusen's Martim Terrier celebrates after he scored the opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and 1.FC Cologne in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
Leverkusen's Martim Terrier celebrates after he scored the opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Bayer 04 Leverkusen and 1.FC Cologne in Leverkusen, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (AP Photo/Martin Meissner)
St. Pauli's Martijn Kaars celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between FC St. Pauli and 1. FC Heidenheim in Hamburg, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (Marcus Brandt/dpa via AP)
Frankfurt's head coach Dino Toppmoeller, left, gives instructions during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Augsburg in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (Marc Schueler/dpa via AP)
Frankfurt's Rasmus Kristensen celebrates at the end of the German Bundesliga soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Augsburg in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (Marc Schueler/dpa via AP)
Frankfurt's Ritsu Doan, left, and Augsburg's Han-Noah Massengo, right, challenge for the ball during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Augsburg in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (Marc Schueler/dpa via AP)
Frankfurt's Ritsu Doan celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the German Bundesliga soccer match between Eintracht Frankfurt and FC Augsburg in Frankfurt, Germany, Saturday, Dec. 13, 2025. (Marc Schueler/dpa via AP)
