Rory McIlroy proved at the Australian Open that even one of the world’s best golfers has a few bad moments here and there.
McIlroy likely hopes he got his muffs and whiffs out of the way as the Australian Open kicked off at Royal Melbourne, and ended up with a mere bogey on the par-5 Friday.
The golfer from Northern Ireland started by missing the fairway and ended up with his ball lying under a low-lying tree. But it got worse. His attempt to extricate the ball from the tree resulted in a whiff when his club got tangled in the branches.
“Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I had a fresh-air shot,” McIlroy said, according to the New York Post. “Not one of my finer moments, but nice to be able to come back over the last few holes.”
The European Ryder Cup team member then saved the hole with a respectable bogey and went on to shoot a three-under par with a 68 to make the cut at the Open.
Mcllroy ended up seven strokes back, with Daniel Rodriques (64) and Rasmus Neergaard-Peterson (66) in first and second.
“With the wind, it played like a different golf course today,” McIlroy told the media. “I certainly haven’t played my best over the past couple of days, but it was nice to finish the way I did. Delighted to be here for the weekend … seven isn’t too far back.”
Min Woo Lee slotted as third with a 65, and Adam Scott and Cameron Smith tied for fourth.
This is the first time McIlroy has played the Australian Open since 2015. He won the tournament in 2013. McIlroy won the Masters earlier this year.
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