Shane Lowry and Justin Thomas are going head-to-head at the top of The Open leaderboard heading into the third round at Royal Troon. It marks the latest clash between the two golfers, who have an entertaining history.
Lowry will start day three in first position with a score of seven under par and a two-stroke lead over second-placed Justin Rose. Thomas, meanwhile, is climbing his way back up the table and is now just six shots behind Lowry.
The duo, both of whom have major victories under their belts, have a history of clashes, both tongue-in-cheek and serious. A particularly heated exchange took place last year during an intense day at the Ryder Cup when Lowry had to physically intervene to keep Rory McIlroy and Thomas's caddie, Jim 'Bones' Mackay, apart.
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McIlroy was initially agitated when Patrick Cantlay's caddie distracted him as he was preparing for a putt that could draw the match, first by standing in his line and secondly by teasing the spectators with cap-waving antics. This led to McIlroy having words with several Team USA members in the car park behind the 18th green, only to be intercepted by Mackay.
A viral video captured the tense encounter, featuring McIlroy shouting, "That's f***ing disgraceful" at Mackay, after which Lowry intervened and escorted him into a car to avoid further escalation. Europe ended up clinching victory over the USA, with a score of 16 and 1/2 to 11 and 1/2.
To drown his sorrows, Thomas jetted off to Lake Como for a holiday a week later, only to have his trip 'spoiled' by Lowry. After spotting the American's Instagram posts of him and his wife Jillian basking in the Italian sunshine, Lowry couldn't resist a playful jab at his Ryder Cup rival.
"Any pics from Rome???" he quipped, alluding to the tournament's location. But rather than fighting back, Thomas took the banter in his stride. He responded: "Shane it's been two weeks and was starting to forget," along with an angry face emoji and a laughing face one.
Lowry also had the upper hand in their individual performances at Marco Simone, albeit marginally. In three matches, the Irishman scored 1-1-1, while Thomas recorded 1-2-1 across four matches.
If Lowry keeps his lead at The Open it will mark his second victory in the competition, having previously won the cup in 2019 - his sole major triumph so far. On the other hand, Thomas has two major titles to his name, having clinched the PGA Championship in both 2017 and 2022.
