Rory McIlroy became the first player since 2003 to drive the 10th green at Bay Hill during the third round of the PGA Tour’s Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Rory McIlroy consistently lets it rip with his driver in PGA Tour competitions, much like death and taxes, as a sure bet.
This was a remarkable occurrence, unprecedented in the 21-year history of Bay Hill.
In order to bring you up to speed, McIlroy was participating in the third round of the prestigious Arnold Palmer Invitational after struggling to qualify for the cut.
When he arrived at the par-4 10th hole, he was 1-over par for the championship and miles behind the leaders.
He needed to get going, so what better way than to take an aggressive line with his TaylorMade Qi10.
The graphic below illustrates just how cool this drive was.
Take a look here:
And also take a look at the drive below;
This was the first time a player had driven the green on the 10th hole since the ShotLink era began in 2003.
The distance of the hole is 401 yards. That was a pretty good shot! McIlroy proceeded to two-putt for a simple birdie after reaching that point, then added more circles to his scorecard on holes 12 and 13 to return to under par.
This week may end up being another instance of McIlroy coming up short yet again, but it will most likely be a standout moment for him. “I may not be well-liked for expressing this opinion”
McIlroy caught the attention of many after the second round of the API by stating that the PGA Tour needs to be more competitive.
“He was questioned about the importance of making cuts to the signature events, and he responded by saying that he was impartial on the matter.”
McIlroy stated that originally there was no cut planned for signature events. However, he acknowledged that if it is significant to icons like Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, and Arnold Palmer (if he were alive) then it is ultimately their tournament and they have the freedom to make decisions regarding it.
“I could have went either way, but if it’s important enough to those guys, then we’ll have a cut.”
He added: “I’m all for making it more cut-throat, more competitive.
“[I] probably won’t be very popular for saying this, but I’m all for less players and less Tour cards, and the best of the best.”
Rory McIlroy WITB 2024
Driver: TaylorMade Qi10 (9 degrees; Fujikura Black 6 X)
3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees; Fujikura Ventus Black 8 X)
5-wood: TaylorMade Qi10 (18 degrees; Fujikura Ventus Black 9 X)
Irons: TaylorMade P760 (4), TaylorMade Rors Proto (5-9; Project X 7.0)
Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (46-09SB, 50-09SB, 54-11SB, 60-08LB; Project X 6.5)
Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour X; SuperStroke Zenergy Pistol Tour
Ball: TaylorMade TP5x (#22)