Rory McIlroy gets ball lodged between female fan’s legs after stray drive

So much for Rory McIlroy getting shot of the distractions. His first day in the office after quitting the PGA Tour policy board this week started with Sachin Tendulkar accompanying him down the first fairway, then featured his ball wedged in a woman’s lap, and finished with a par that was anything but routine as he was twice handed huge breaks from the water.

McIlroy has previously joked that “things just seem to happen to me” and the opening round of this season-ending DP World Tour Championship was a case in point.

If the sight of McIlroy in deep conversation with Tendulkar – the Indian cricket legend who is a DP World ambassador – moments before he teed off chasing the $3 million (£2,414,250) first prize was strange enough, then when he pushed his tee-shot on the par-three 13th, it became positively surreal.

McIlroy walked up and found a female fan sitting on the ground, petrified to move, with his ball resting in her lap.
McIlroy pretended to take a shot  before executing a free drop. You know the scene. Cheerfulness is everywhere.

Rory McIlroy’s tee shot lands in a spectator’s lap!
🤯#DPWTC | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/Yklsw5Nqhq

But after suffering two consecutive bogeys and going 3-under through seven holes, in his own words, “I felt like I hadn’t had six weeks in a row. ” I held on.” Then I went to the Ryder Cup.

He made a nice par save from a greenside bunker on the 17th, but  watched in disgust as his drive on the par-5 18th inexorably headed toward the creek that splits the fairway.

There was a loud roar as his ball hit a rock, flew high into the air, and landed safely on the pine straw. McIlroy then pulled a second one and  was caught in the water again. This time, it bounced off the bridge, avoiding danger, and slowly made its way into the  grass. McIlroy escaped with a five-point shot.

“That hole, whatever the round,  probably summed up my career. I was very lucky,” McIlroy said with a laugh. “But I’m still only four behind [leaders Nicolai Heigaard, Mathieu Pabon and Julien Guerrier] and I can definitely do better. I hope there’s something to build on.

He was happy with his 1-under 71 under the circumstances, and although he declined to comment on Wednesday when  news broke that he was resigning as player-coach, he was happy to talk to us this time.

But while he admitted that the commitment was “too much” and that he wanted to be more selfish and focus on golf, he wonders where the current merger talks with the $700 billion Saudi national will go. He denied that he was concerned about this. The fund will lead the way.

The world No. 2 is one of LIV Golf’s harshest critics, and when a shocking “framework agreement” between LIV supporters was announced in June, he said he was a “sacrificial lamb.” I feel like that,” he declared. But if after five months  there was still some resentment for the betrayal, he bravely hid it.

“There are a lot of things going on in my life right now between playing golf, my family, my growing investment portfolio, and my involvement with TGL (the soon-to-be-formed indoor golf league  with Tiger Woods). It’s happening, but something had to be given up. “I didn’t feel like I had the time and energy to spend on myself. I don’t hate being busy, but I like  doing my own thing.” he said.

McIlroy said his function as PGA tour mouthpiece changed after the bombshell alliance become unveiled. “I had stepped up and spoke out about some thing i believed in,” he said. “The landscape modified on June 6. It turned into by no means in my manage, however from then on i used to be gambling a lesser component, because of the selections that were made.”

McIlroy disregarded the perception that the exhaustive time spent – one board meeting concerning LIV lasted seven hours at the beginning of a match week – had hampered his game and claimed that he had honestly benefited from the enjoy.

“I don’t think it affected me in any respect,” he said. “I loved it. It was an schooling. I was in the room with some very clever people. I was appreciative of the opportunity. Optimistically so one can stand me in precise stead with something I determine to do within the future.”

But he did concede that as he units out on his 2024 marketing campaign – on a quest to avoid a full decade with out a primary – that there may be no room at the agenda to be the statesman.

“As we go into subsequent 12 months and i’m getting ramped up for the Masters I just couldn’t see me setting the time and strength into it,” he said. “It’s a huge selection and if I’m no longer prepared going into the ones conferences it’s better a person else takes my location.

“however I do suppose the system is in correct hands. At the end of the day, the PGA excursion agreed to permit a sixth player at the policy board, so the gamers are the ones who are going to control the destiny besides. I form of felt at ease sufficient to step down.”

All of that allows you to cheer up Jay Monahan no end. The beleaguered PGA tour commissioner is expected to arrive right here at the Earth path over the weekend – which, intriguingly, might be his first visit to the middle East – and must have been dreading showing up with the criticisms of McIlroy ringing within the air.

Of direction, the golfing global remains in search of answers and very few – if any – are imminent. So if Monahan desires an escape then the Earth path and the DP global excursion Championship can offer light entertainment. McIlroy’s round on Thursday simply did.