Rory McIlroy struggled during the first round of the Masters on Thursday, and the four-time major champion’s father felt his pain — literally.
McIlroy pulled his tee shot left on the 7th hole and ended up with a difficult angle into the green. He tried to move the ball right to left with his approach shot, but he was unsuccessful and hit a spectator in the leg. The patron was his own father.
Though it’s unconfirmed due to the mask, I’m pretty sure Rory hit his father with his approach on 7 Hope the legend Gerry is doing alright #TheMasters pic.twitter.com/4l2JSsTwpq
— Rory McIlroy Tracker (@RMTracker) April 8, 2021
The shot was later shown on ESPN with audio of McIlroy’s exchange with his caddie. McIlroy’s caddie asked if the ball hit Rory’s dad, and McIlroy said that it did.
McIlroy ended up making a bogey — his third in a row — on the hole. For someone who will always have his infamous Masters meltdown in the back of his mind, hitting your dad with an errant shot can’t feel like the best omen.
