Rory McIlroy might need made historical past when he hit two golf balls directly throughout the 153rd Open Championship.
Whereas competing within the third spherical on Saturday, July 19, McIlroy, 36, swung his wedge solely to unearth a second ball that, unbeknownst to him, had been sitting beneath. Because the second ball emerged, McIlroy exclaimed in a video shared by The Athletic, “Oh, my God.”
McIlroy rapidly bent down to select up the second ball, earlier than laughing alongside others. “There was a ball there!” an announcer mentioned. “Oh, my Gosh.” The Athletic captioned the clip, “Rory McIlroy made one other ball seem.”
After the spherical, McIlroy mentioned that he “actually” was uncertain what had transpired on the course. “That's the weirdest, ridiculous factor I've ever seen,” McIlroy mentioned, per CNN. “Then my ball got here out actually bizarre and spinny. Yeah, simply so unusual.”
Scottie Scheffler finally reigned victorious on the Northern Eire event held at Royal Portrush Golf Membership. Forward of the event, McIlroy mirrored on his return to the course.
“Once I was trying on the calendar for 2025, this was the event that was circled, much more so than the Masters,” McIlroy mentioned earlier this month, in accordance with ESPN's Paolo Uggetti.
McIlroy took house a Masters win for the primary time in April, making historical past because the sixth golfer to win a profession grand slam.
“I've finished one thing that I've instructed everybody that I wished to do, however then it's like I nonetheless really feel like I've much more to provide,” McIlroy added. “I nonetheless really feel like there's rather a lot left in there. The story definitely isn't over.”
Between the tournaments, McIlroy had a quick, two-week hiatus the place he “mentally” reset with spouse Erica Stoll and their 4-year-old daughter, Poppy. (McIlory and Stoll, now 37, tied the knot in 2017. The professional golfer filed for divorce from Stoll after seven years of marriage in 2024, however dismissed the submitting one month later.)
“We got here again a couple of weeks in the past and moved into our new house in Wentworth [England] and have been making an attempt to settle in,” McIlroy instructed reporters in June. “It's superb what two weeks of a little bit of detachment can do for you.”
He added, “Sitting there being with your personal ideas for some time. It's been good to have this time to replicate and in addition to rekindle my pleasure and enthusiasm for the remainder of the yr.”
