Rory McIlroy SNAPS his driver in half before stripping down to play shot from the water during nightmare round at BMW Championship
Rory McIlroy enjoyed a thrilling round on Sunday during the final day of the BMW Championship.
The four-time major winner’s troubles began on the ninth hole of Castle Pines Golf Club in Colorado.
The Northern Irishman broke his driver in half in what appeared to be a freak accident after hitting his tee shot on the par-four.
The world No. 3 mishit his ball and it landed on the bank, just above a creek that meanders along the right side of the fairway, narrowly avoiding the water.
McIlroy used the club as a crutch as he bent over to pick up his tee, but he nearly fell when the tee gave way beneath him, bending and breaking.
Rory McIlroy had a rollercoaster ride on the final day of the BMW Championship
The Northern Irishman broke his driver in half after hitting his tee shot on the ninth hole
Unfortunately, McIlroy was not allowed to replace the ball and had to play the remaining nine holes of his round without a driver.
Under PGA Tour rules, players are allowed to replace damaged clubs without penalty as long as the damage occurred and the replacement will not cause a significant delay.
The incident occurred after McIlroy had a hot few days at the BMW Championship, the penultimate tournament of the PGA Tour season and the second event of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Earlier in the tournament, on Friday, he lashed out in frustration after hitting his tee shot wide right on the 17th hole.
The 35-year-old man could not keep his composure and lost his composure for a minute. He threw his golf club into the water right in front of him. The crowd remained silent in shock and splashed into the water.
On Sunday, however, it was the PGA Tour star himself who made a trip to the water.
McIlroy was in trouble with his club and had a rather unconventional approach. He took his tee shot to the right, narrowly avoiding the creek, and then began to undress.
On his second attempt, McIlroy had to remove his shoes and socks and take a dive, balancing with one foot on a rock and the other in the water.
McIlroy had to remove his shoes and socks to play his second swing out of the water in the ninth inning
McIlroy threw his golf club into the water in frustration on Friday after a shot went wrong
The four-time major champion angrily picked his club out of the water before storming off
He managed to hit his approach shot onto the green and save par, but reached the turn at one over, 14 strokes behind the lead.
This summer has been a tough one for McIlroy, as he came astonishingly close to winning his fifth major golf tournament. Instead, he finished second to Bryson DeChambeau at the US Open.
After missing two putts in the closing stages of the match, he handed DeChambeau the title.
McIlroy did not reach the final of The Open, but finished just outside the medal table at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where he finished fifth.