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12/05 21:56 CST Banana peel moment! A slippery slope for McIlroy during his 3rd
round at the Australian Open
Banana peel moment! A slippery slope for McIlroy during his 3rd round at the
Australian Open
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) --- Rory McIlroy survived a bizarre encounter with a
banana peel lodged in a tree to shoot a 3-under 68 on Saturday at the
Australian Open.
His score of 5-under 208 after three rounds left him likely at least five or
six strokes behind the leaders, who were still on the course at Royal
Melbourne, going into Sunday's final round.
On the par-4 second hole, McIlroy missed the fairway right and his ball ended
up under a small tree and under a banana peel which had apparently been thrown
away by a spectator.
Golfers are allowed to move loose impediments as long as the player's ball
doesn't move in the process. If the ball had shifted as a result of trying to
move a loose item, the player incurs a penalty.
So McIlroy tried in vain to hit his ball through the banana peel and the
branches and back on to the fairway. But it only traveled about 30 feet and he
ended up making a double bogey six.
"It was sort of a double whammy --- it was in the tough grass, and under a
banana skin," McIlroy said. "But I shouldn't have been there in the first
place."
The Northern Irishman made birdie on the next hole and after another bogey and
birdie to complete the front nine, shot a 1-over 35.
On the back nine which was played in often steady drizzle, McIlroy had four
birdies, including on the final two holes as he had done on Friday, when he
also shot 68.
"I didn't get off to a great start, but I played well from there," said McIroy,
who made five birdies on his final 10 holes Saturday.
"I am probably going to be too far behind to challenge tomorrow," he added.
"But I'd love the course to keep getting firmer and firmer . . . and if it does
I think I could go out there and shoot something very low, 8 or 9 under."
McIlroy, whose pre-tournament news conference included comments that Royal
Melbourne was not the best sandbelt course in the city, had a wild opening
round on Thursday containing six bogeys and five birdies.
McIlroy, the Race to Dubai winner and who completed his career Grand Slam when
he won the Masters this year, is making his first appearance at the Australian
Open since 2015. He won it in 2013.
The winner of the Australian Open, which is the second event on the European
tour's new schedule of tournaments for late this year and 2026, receives a
Masters exemption next year. And the top three finishers not already exempt
will qualify for the British Open in 2026 at Royal Birkdale.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
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