Rory McIlroy caught a terrible break during the third round of The Open Championship on Saturday, and it would be an understatement to say there was no way to see it coming.
McIlroy blasted his drive through the fairway and into the rough at the par-4 11th hole at Royal Portrush Golf Club in Northern Ireland. He still ended up with what appeared to be a very good lie, but something no golfer could ever account for happened.
As McIlroy hit his approach shot, a different ball that was embedded in the ground below his swing path popped into the air. It initially looked like McIlroy had topped his shot.
The second ball looked to be embedded under the surface about six inches in front of where McIlroy’s ball had come to rest. McIlroy’s shot came up short of the green, so the embedded ball likely impacted his follow-through.
Have you ever seen anything like this?! 😂 pic.twitter.com/kcryiPU0xv
— Fried Egg Golf (@fried_egg_golf) July 19, 2025
You can see a closer view:
Rory with the trick shot. Popped that old Pinnacle straight into the air. pic.twitter.com/Kw9HTrovkj
— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelGolf) July 19, 2025
That was just terrible luck for McIlroy, who wound up making a bogey on the hole.
We saw J.J. Spaun catch an equally bad break at the U.S. Open last month and still go on to win, so perhaps McIlroy will enjoy a similar outcome.
