The most bizarre thing that has ever happened to Rory McIlroy on a golf course led to his only bogey on a glorious day of golf when he edged closer to the runaway leader, Scottie Scheffler.
At the 153rd Open Championship in Royal Portrush, the local hero zipped off the blocks with three birdies in his first four holes—exactly the start he wanted on the Moving Day. He then closed with an eagle and a birdie in his last seven holes for a round of five-under 66 and moved to tied fourth place at eight-under total.
That took him to within six shots of Scheffler on 14-under, but it was McIlroy’s second shot on the 11th hole that became the talking point of the day. So much so that it also overshadowed Jordan Smith’s recovery shot.
The world No. 2’s drive found the right rough, and there wasn’t much to the 151-yard second shot to the pin. But as soon as he hit the ball, it took off in a weird fashion, and along with the divot, out popped a second, older golf ball that was buried directly beneath McIlroy’s ball.
Wait … what?! What are the odds?
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“It’s never happened to me before. It could never happen on any other course but a links course, where the rough is all matted down and the balls get under it. It was very strange,” said McIlroy.
“My ball came out so strange… I thought I was going to get a flier. I looked up at my ball, and I could see it spinning up against the wind. I had obviously no idea there was a ball anywhere close to my ball. I could have done better with the chip shot there anyway. Making a bogey on the 11th is not the end of the world. It’s a tough hole.”
McIlroy was slightly disappointed with his score after getting off to a hot start.
“I got off to the perfect start, three-under through four. Felt like at the end of the front nine there, at least through 11, the par on seventh (a par-5) felt like a bogey, and then the bogey on 11,” said the sixth professional to complete a career grand slam.”
“Then to play those last seven holes at three-under, I thought was a good effort. Yeah, I played well. I rode my luck at times, and I feel like I’ve at least given myself half a chance tomorrow.”
McIlroy quickly shrugged off that bogey and made an eagle from 56 feet on the next hole, sending the grandstand and the thousands walking with him into raptures.
“The eagle on 12th was one of the coolest moments of my career. It is one of the largest roars I have ever heard on a golf course. To get those shots back straight away was nice, and I felt like I played the last few holes really solid and picked one up coming in, which was good,” added the reigning Masters champion who grew up some 60 miles from here in Holywood.
It won’t be easy chasing down Scheffler for his second Open title, and McIlroy acknowledged the fact.
“He is playing like Scottie. I don’t think it’s a surprise. Everyone has seen the way he has played over the last two or three years. He’s just so solid and doesn’t make any mistakes,” said McIlroy.
“He has turned himself into a really consistent putter as well. So, there doesn’t seem to be any weakness there. Whenever you’re trying to chase down a guy like that, it’s hard to do.”
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