Rory McIlroy had a bizarre encounter with a banana peel stuck in the long grass as he shot a 3-under 68 at the Australian Open on Saturday.
He was 9 strokes behind leader Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen in this round, and made birdie putts on the 17th and 18th holes to score a 5-under 66 and move to 14 under for the tournament.
2022 British Open champion Cam Smith, who ended his streak of seven consecutive missed cuts this year on Friday, also shot a 66 on Saturday to tie for second place, two strokes back.
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Highlights from Day 3 of the Crown Australian Open at Royal Melbourne Golf Club
On the par-4 second hole, McIlroy, currently tied for 24th place at 5 under, missed the fairway to the right and the ball fell into the long grass and under a banana peel that appeared to have been thrown away by a spectator.
Golfers are allowed to move loose impediments as long as the player’s ball does not move in the process, but if the ball moves as a result of attempting to move a loose item, the player will be penalized.
McIlroy tried to hit the ball against a banana peel and return it to the fairway, but the ball only traveled 30 feet and ended up hitting a double-bogey six.
“It was a double whammy because I was on hard grass and then under a banana peel,” McIlroy said. “But I shouldn’t have been there in the first place.”
The Northern Irishman birdied the next hole, followed by bogey and birdie to finish the front nine and post a 1-over 35 on the turn.
On the back nine, played in a drizzling rain, McIlroy had four birdies, including the last two holes where he shot a 68, just like he did Friday.
“I didn’t get off to a great start, but I played well from there,” said McIlroy, who had five birdies in his final 10 holes on Saturday.
“We’ll probably be too far behind to try tomorrow.
“But I’m hoping the course gets harder and harder…and if that happens, I think I can go out there and hit a really low shot of 8 or 9 under.”
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Relive the moment McIlroy made three birdies in the final four holes to qualify for the second round of the Crown Australian Open.
McIlroy, whose pre-tournament press conference included comments that Royal Melbourne was not the best sand course in the city, had a rough opening round on Thursday with six bogeys and five birdies.
The Race to Dubai winner is playing in the Australian Open for the first time since 2015, having previously won the tournament in 2013.
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Let’s take a look back at how McIlroy pulled off a thrilling victory in the 2013 contest to claim the Stonehaven Cup.
The winner of the Australian Open, the second event in the European Tour’s new tournament schedule from later this year through 2026, will receive an exemption from next year’s Masters. The top three players who are not yet exempt will qualify for the British Open at Royal Birkdale in 2026.
Who will win the Crown Australian Open? Watch live all week on Sky Sports. Live coverage will continue on Sky Sports Golf from 2.30am on Saturday. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, Majors and more with no contract.
