11 months ago
23
ESPN News Services
Jul 19, 2025, 12:43 PM ET
Rory McIlroy's third-round complaint astatine the Open Championship was derailed successful bizarre manner Saturday erstwhile helium unwittingly performed a instrumentality changeable astatine the 11th hole.
With 1 swish of his club, McIlroy not lone deed his designated shot retired of the unsmooth to the close of the fairway but besides dug retired different shot that had been buried underneath the turf.
The 2nd shot popped retired of the ground, overmuch to McIlroy's surprise. He picked it up and held it retired successful beforehand of him, looking confused.
"I person different play ball," helium said with a grin to those astir him.
McIlroy past laughed it disconnected and tossed the enigma shot into a adjacent bush. NBC Sports commentator and erstwhile caddie John Wood said a stunned McIlroy asked him if helium had ever seen thing similar it.
His changeable coiled up being a mediocre one, not adjacent reaching the green, and helium couldn't get up and down for par. The bogey -- the archetypal of his circular -- dropped him to 2 nether for the time and 5 nether for the tourney astatine Royal Portrush.
He rebounded from the bizarre infinitesimal with an eagle astatine No. 12 that drew a roar from the crowd.
McIlroy birdied 3 of his archetypal 4 holes past settled for each pars until the astonishing infinitesimal connected the 11th.
The Associated Press and Field Level Media contributed to this report.
