So, this was weird: Rory McIlroy, playing his second shot from the rough on the 11th at Royal Portrush in Round 3 of the British Open, somehow managed to unearth another ball in mid-swing. Seriously, look at this:
Here’s another look:
The second ball was apparently embedded in the ground a few inches ahead of McIlroy’s ball, and popped into the air as McIlroy’s shot flew greenward.
“That is one of the most weird, ridiculous things I’ve ever seen,” McIlroy said of the shot after his round, where he finished at 8-under. “So strange.”
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McIlroy tossed the extra ball aside. For the record, it was a Titleist 4, and it ended up in the hands of a lucky fan:
Alas, because McIlroy didn’t replace the ball in its original spot, the R&A hit Shane Lowry with a two-shot penalty. (Kidding. Maybe.)
McIlroy would go on to bogey the hole.
After a hot three-birdies-in-four-holes start, McIlroy cooled off slightly, parring the next six holes before the weirdest bogey at 11.
He did, however, follow that up with a monster putt for eagle at No. 12 to move closer to the top of the leaderboard.
