Rory McIlroy’s third-round surge at the British Open took an odd and unfortunate turn on Saturday at the 11th hole, where an unintentional trick shot disrupted his momentum.
Attempting to punch his ball out of the rough right of the fairway, McIlroy inadvertently dislodged a second, buried ball with the same swing. The hidden ball popped up unexpectedly, leaving McIlroy visibly puzzled as he picked it up and held it out in disbelief.
The actual shot didn’t help his cause either — falling short of the green. He failed to save par, carding his first bogey of the round, which dropped him to 2-under for the day and 5-under overall, trailing leader Scottie Scheffler by seven strokes at Royal Portrush.
This hiccup came after a hot start, with McIlroy birdieing three of his first four holes.
