Rory McIlroy had an impressive third round at the Open Championship on Saturday, climbing the leaderboard at Royal Portrush. However, one particular moment stood out: he hit two balls with a single swing.
On hole 11, McIlroy mistakenly drove the wrong ball, which ended up near the crowd. Unbeknownst to him, another ball had been buried in the ground just underneath his shot. It’s funny how these things happen—almost like a scene from a comedy.
As he swung, McIlroy sent his ball 117 yards down the fairway, and at that moment, the other ball sprang up a few feet, landing right between his legs. He couldn’t help but look down in disbelief as he realized what had happened.
“Oh, what a god,” he exclaimed, picking up the unexpected find.
After the round, he described the incident to NBC’s analyst Roger Mulby, calling it “the strangest and ridiculous thing” he’d ever encountered. Although he ended with a bogey on that hole, it was the only blemish on an otherwise great day.
McIlroy had made a strong start, birdying three of his first four holes. Following the bogey on 11, he made a great comeback, sinking a 56-foot eagle putt on hole 12. By the end of the third round, he finished at five under par for the day, putting him at eight under overall.
As the tournament progressed, McIlroy found himself in a tie for fourth place, trailing the leader, Scottie Scheffler, by five strokes. It’s exciting to see how this will play out in the coming rounds.
