Justin Lower bitter over Butterfield Bermuda Championship conditions, calls out rules officials for lack of action
PGA Tour player Justin Lower has sounded off on the conditions at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship 2024. The American golfer is competing in the ongoing PGA Tour event. He was in the lead after two rounds but shot a 68 on Saturday, slipping down two spots on the leaderboard to third place.
Following the round, Lower reflected on the windy conditions of the golf course, which affected his game. He expressed his frustration, saying (via Nuclr Golf):
"Then the last, I mean, 14 -- not 14 -- 15, 16, 17, 18, I don't think that's golf if you ask me. But balls were going backwards in the air and I just, I realize that a lot of people had to play in it, but I don't think it's fair if that makes sense…”
“I think if a top-10 or top-15 player in the world was here and they wanted to stop, I think the rules officials would have said, "Yeah, we'll stop…. When anyone else in the field, if we would have said "I don't feel comfortable playing in this," we would have been told "tough" and to proceed with the round. So that's how I feel about it," he added.
The second round of play was suspended due to darkness on Friday, November 15. However, it resumed on Saturday, and the players who had made the 2-under cut proceeded with the third round that same day. After the third round, Andrew Novak jumped nine spots on the leaderboard to take the lead in a tie with Rafael Campos.
A look into Justin Lower's performance at the 2024 Butterfield Bermuda Championship
Coming off a runner-up finish at the World Wide Technology Championship last week, Justin Lower had a strong start at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship. He shot a bogey-free 65 in the opening round, carding six birdies. Starting his game on the 10th hole, Lower added two birdies on the front nine before making back-to-back birdies on the first and second holes. He capped off the round with two more birdies for a score of 6-under 65.
In the second round, the 35-year-old recorded two birdies and one bogey on the front nine, followed by four birdies on the back nine, once again scoring 6-under 65.
In the third round, Justin Lower started with back-to-back birdies on the first and second holes. He added another pair of birdies on the seventh and eighth holes, finishing the front nine strong. On the back nine, he recorded one birdie and two bogeys, ultimately scoring 3-under 68. He finished one shot behind the tournament leaders.
The 2024 Butterfield Bermuda Championship will conclude with the final round on Sunday, November 17. Justin Lower will tee off for the final round in a group with Andrew Novak and Rafael Campos at 9:55 a.m. AST.