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McIlroy handed 2-shot penalty, admits video 'doesn't look very good'
· Confirmed
In Short: After reviewing the footage, McIlroy admitted he could not definitively say whether he had pressed the club on the ground, but he was uncomfortable proceeding without penalty.
Rory McIlroy was penalized two strokes during the first round of the Abu Dhabi Championship after officials ruled he improved his lie on the 12th hole, turning his double bogey into a quadruple bogey.
McIlroy, the world No. 2, was initially tied with Eugenio Chacarra on 70, while Patrick Reed shot 74. McIlroy's score of 6 at the par-4 12th hole turned into an even uglier 8, leaving him with a 2-under 70, eight shots off the lead held by Francesco Laporta.
After reviewing the footage, McIlroy admitted he could not definitively say whether he had pressed the club on the ground, but he was uncomfortable proceeding without penalty. He therefore chose to apply a two-stroke penalty to his score.
McIlroy had a strong start to his round, driving the green at the 359-yard par-4 14th hole and setting up a two-putt birdie. He followed this with a brilliant effort on the next hole, holing a putt from around 40 feet to pick up another shot.
Left with just 113 yards to the flag after finding the fairway off the tee, McIlroy airmailed the green with a flip wedge in hand. He then appeared to press the club on the ground, which is not allowed under the rules.
McIlroy spent around 15 minutes in the scorer’s hut with senior DP World Tour referee Simon Higginbottom and his playing partners Patrick Reed and Eugenio Chacarra, where he learned his fate.
McIlroy acknowledged that video of the incident “doesn’t look very good.” He emphasized there was no intent to break the rules and that he was trying to ground his club lightly in front of or behind the ball.
McIlroy said, “I’m trying to feel like if I can get a 54-degree onto the back of the ball, but in the process, this piece of grass has sort of laid down, and it doesn’t — you know, the technical — I guess the technical term for the rule is if you press down on the piece.”
Despite the penalty, McIlroy remained optimistic about the next day’s play. He said, “I feel like I’ve given myself a real opportunity tomorrow.” McIlroy is now in a five-man group in a tie for sixth place, alongside Adam Scott and Joaquin Niemann.
McIlroy is seeking a fifth straight Race to Dubai title and eighth overall to tie the all-time record with Colin Montgomerie, who won the award when it was called the Order of Merit.
McIlroy’s birdie-eagle finish on the back-to-back closing par 5s at Wentworth left him on 11-under 205 after the third round, just two strokes off the lead held by Manuel Elvira and Filippo Cello on a crowded leaderboard.
What this adds
The incident occurred on the 12th hole, where McIlroy's initial score of 6 turned into an 8 after the penalty was applied.
McIlroy's decision to apply the penalty himself highlights his commitment to the integrity of the game and his concern over public perception.
What's confirmed
- McIlroy’s score of 6 at the par-4 12th hole turned into an even uglier 8 and left him posting a 2-under 70 to be eight shots off the lead, held by Francesco Laporta after his bogey-free round of 62.
- Now he was tied with Eugenio Chacarra on 70, while Patrick Reed shot 74.
- McIlroy, the world No. 2, is seeking a fifth straight Race to Dubai title and eighth overall to tie the all-time record with Colin Montgomerie, who won the award when it was called the Order of Merit.
- ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates -- Rory McIlroy was handed a two-shot penalty after finishing his first round at the Abu Dhabi Championship on Thursday, with officials ruling he improved his lie on a hole where he shot double-bogey to spoil his card.
- "But overall, yeah, I shot really nice today."
- "I try to do everything that I can to never end up in these positions."
- “They showed me a video from 12. Hit my first chip shot from down on the bottom of the hill, then get up, came back down and rolled into a divot,” McIlroy explained after officially posting a 2-under 70.
What's still developing
- Speaking with the media after the penalty had been assessed, McIlroy explained that rules officials had shown him video of the moment on No. 12.
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- McIlroy, who started the week third in the Race to Dubai standings as he chases a record-equalling eighth season-long title, had looked in decent shape before the incident threatened to derail his afternoon.
- On a day when second-round leader Ryan Gerard went backward with a 75, many others took a big step forward — even if the top of the leaderboard doesn't contain too many household names.
- Chacarra, who was playing with McIlroy for the first time, was 1 over at the turn after making three bogeys but recovered with four birdies on his back nine.