Hole 7 of the Earth Course at Jumeirah. Par 5. Second round of the DP World Tour Championship. Jorge Campillo hits a great tee shot, over 300 yards, landing on the right side of the fairway. Perfect. Or maybe not so perfect…
It turns out that on this fairway, particularly on the right side, there are areas that are not in good condition. The grass is sparse, and the ground is sandy, somewhat unstable. Because of this, some sections are marked with a white line, designating them as ground under repair. Golfers can take relief from these areas without penalty, always dropping at the nearest point of relief without gaining distance to the hole.
However, the spot where Campillo’s ball rested, also in poor condition, was not marked with that white line. The Spanish player accepted the situation and prepared his second shot alongside his caddie, Jesús Legarrea. He had about 240 meters to the flag. His playing partner this Friday was Shane Lowry. The Irishman, who had hit his second shot earlier from about seven meters farther back, intervened before Jorge could take his shot.
Specifically, Lowry told Campillo that the area where his ball lay should have been marked as ground under repair and that if it wasn’t, it was likely due to an oversight in course preparation and marking. So much so that he insisted on calling a referee to request relief for the Spanish golfer. To be clear: Lowry wasn’t asking for relief for himself but for Campillo.
Thus, the two players spent quite some time discussing the matter with the referee, who didn’t budge. The referee explained that if the area were ground under repair, it would have been marked, and since it wasn’t, Campillo had no choice but to play the ball as it lay. The discussion was fruitless, but Lowry’s gesture—advocating for a competitor who is, after all, vying for the same prize—was admirable. It’s a moment that reflects well on Shane Lowry.
Later, during another part of the round, the two players brought up a conversation about the Ryder Cup and the recent news published by the British Telegraph about American players reportedly earning around $400,000 for participating. Lowry commented to Campillo: “If Luke Donald told me tomorrow that I had to pay $400,000 out of my own pocket to play the Ryder, I’d give him $500,000.” A genius and a character. Shane Lowry, everyone.
