MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Rory McIlroy survived a weird encounter with a banana peel lodged in a tree to shoot a 3-under 68 on Saturday on the Australian Open.
His spherical left him 9 strokes behind Danish participant Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, who made a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a 66 and a 54-hole whole of 14-under 199.
Cam Smith, the 2022 British Open champion who ended his streak of missing seven consecutive cuts this yr on Friday, additionally shot 66 Saturday and was tied for second, two strokes behind.
On the par-4 second gap, McIlroy missed the golf green proper and his ball ended up below a small tree and below a banana peel which had apparently been thrown away by a spectator.
Golfers are allowed to maneuver free impediments so long as the participant’s ball doesn’t transfer within the course of. If the ball had shifted on account of attempting to maneuver a free merchandise, the participant incurs a penalty.
So McIlroy tried in vain to hit his ball by means of the banana peel and the branches and again on to the golf green. Nevertheless it solely traveled about 30 ft and he ended up making a double bogey six.
“It was form of a double whammy — it was within the powerful grass, and below a banana pores and skin,” McIlroy mentioned. “However I shouldn’t have been there within the first place.”
Josh Chadwick through Getty Photos
Josh Chadwick through Getty Photos
The Northern Irishman made birdie on the following gap and after one other bogey and birdie to finish the entrance 9, shot a 1-over 35.
On the again 9 which was performed in typically regular drizzle, McIlroy had 4 birdies, together with on the ultimate two holes as he had performed on Friday, when he additionally shot 68.
“I didn’t get off to an ideal begin, however I performed properly from there,” mentioned McIroy, who made 5 birdies on his ultimate 10 holes Saturday.
“I’m most likely going to be too far behind to problem tomorrow,” he added. “However I’d love the course to maintain getting firmer and firmer . . . and if it does I believe I may go on the market and shoot one thing very low, 8 or 9 below.”
McIlroy, whose pre-tournament information convention included comments that Royal Melbourne was not the most effective sandbelt course within the metropolis, had a wild opening round on Thursday containing six bogeys and 5 birdies.
McIlroy, the Race to Dubai winner and who completed his career Grand Slam when he gained the Masters this yr, is making his first look on the Australian Open since 2015. He gained it in 2013.
The winner of the Australian Open, which is the second occasion on the European tour’s new schedule of tournaments for late this yr and 2026, receives a Masters exemption subsequent yr. And the highest three finishers not already exempt will qualify for the British Open in 2026 at Royal Birkdale.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
