Maybe Rory McIlroy’s luck is changing. In his first round since losing the Irish Open in agonising scenes last Sunday, the world No 3 watched in disbelief as he hit an approach shot to seven feet – but only after the head of his nine-iron had flown off down the fairway.
It is fair to say that it was an eventful opening morning at the BMW PGA Championship for the Northern Irishman as he tried to shrug off a collection of near misses to win for the fourth time this season.
Having seen his challenge at Royal County Down breakdown in heartbreaking fashion – he was two clear with four to play before Rasmus Hojgaard made the most of a few huge breaks to pip him at the line – McIlroy declared that he was “getting used” to falling inches short.
In June, he bogeyed three of the last four at the US Open to hand the trophy to Bryson DeChambeau and labelled himself “The Nearly Man”. Of course, three titles in a calendar year is an achievement for the common professional. Still, there is nothing remotely average about the 35-year-old, as he re-emphasised his box-office qualities yet again.
A five-under 67 in the DP World Tour’s flagship event on the famous West Course put Mcilroy in contention, with seven birdies and two bogeys. Yet as always with McIlroy, the numbers on the scorecard did not begin to do the drama justice.
His first dropped shot was courtesy of a missed three-footer on the seventh then on the next hole he was forced to play a putt with the back of his putter, due to his ball being on the edge of the water. The highlights reel kept on whirring until the last when he hit his second out of bounds.
As well as a 40-footer on the 13th to take the outright lead, there was a remarkable recovery shot from the heather on the 11th. But it was what occurred on the par-five in between that was destined to go viral.
After a 332-yard drive – standard for McIlroy – he was in the middle of the fairway with 179 yards remaining. In the past few months, he has thrown a three-wood into a lake and snapped a driver in half when putting too much weight on the club as he went to pick up his tee.
But this was a new one, even for him, looking dumbfounded as the head sheared off his club and spiraled 20 yards ahead. By then, his ball had skipped off a bank to within seven feet. McIlroy duly missed the eagle putt.
“I don’t think it’s ever happened to me before,” he said. “It was a very weird feeling. I looked up and the club head caught my eye instead of the ball. Thankfully it went where I wanted it to. It could have been a lot worse but thankfully got it repaired and it should be okay to go tomorrow.”
McIlroy believes it was the transition in climates that caused the club’s weakness. Last month, he was playing in the heat of Memphis and Atlanta, which is quite the contrast to Co. Antrim and Surrey in the autumn.
However, it is still an inexplicable situation and one that mercifully for TaylorMade, McIlroy saw the funny side. He laughed when it was put to him that people would think McIlroy could afford sets that do not fall apart. “Hey, I’m paid to play with sets that don’t fall apart!” he replied. “Yeah, it was just one of those things. I hit nine-iron on the ninth and it looked as if the barrel was coming loose, but most of the incidents worked out in my favor. So I’m happy about that.”
