Shane Lowry tells amateur golfers exactly how to play out of plugged lies in bunkers

Add as preferred source on Google

Shane Lowry’s tip for amateur golfers means you won’t need to fear bunkers any longer!

It’s an awful feeling. You walk towards the green, devastated that you’ve found the sand with your approach, and when you arrive at the bunker, you see that the ball is plugged—a fried egg in the sand.

For amateurs and pros, it’s one of the most challenging shots in golf. Most of the time, you’d be happy with just getting the ball out of the bunker. But that doesn’t need to be the case!

Shane Lowry has some clever advice for how you can play great shots out of plugged lies in bunkers.

Shane Lowry’s technique for playing out of plugged lies in bunkers

2025 Ryder Cup winner Shane Lowry is an elite bunker player and has some clever advice for amateurs on how to get the ball to land softly on the green, even with plugged lies. 

Speaking to Golf Digest, he said, “So over this one, obviously, you get a few plugged lies, but you’re really trying not to compound the error. So you’re trying to be a bit clever with what you do.

“For a plugged lie, I kind of square up the club face, and I get into my setup like a normal bunker shot, but just square up the club face.

“And I feel like I’m chopping down on the back of it with the heel. So I’m trying to get the heel right in there (in the sand behind and to the side of the ball).

“I feel like if I get the heel in there, the club will open up a little bit, hopefully, and the ball will come out somewhat soft.”

Hitting the heel of the club into the sand will naturally open the club, allowing you to close the face prior to impact and go into the shot with a stronger grip. That way, you can really power through the ball and generate the force needed to get the ball out of a plugged lie in the sand. 

Shane Lowry’s elite bunker play

Shane Lowry, the 2019 Open Championship winner, has established himself as one of the elite bunker players in the sport. He led the PGA Tour in sand saves in 2022 with a save percentage of 67.09%.

While 2025 wasn’t quite as effective, he was still one of the better bunker players in the world with a sand save percentage of 56.73%. 

At the 2024 St. Jude Championship, Lowry holed out from 140 yards from a fairway bunker, showing his ability not just to get out of the sand, but to stick it close consistently. 

Lowry gave out chipping advice, saying he only uses two clubs around the green, so, if you combine that with his bunker technique, you can develop into a short game maestro!