Bizarre moment at the Crown Australian Open: Rory McIlroy finds his ball under a banana peel and walks away with a double bogey.
Rory McIlroy experienced an unusual incident during the third round of the Crown Australian Open on the DP World Tour in southeastern Australia. After a modest round of 68 on Friday, the Northern Irishman hoped for a stronger Saturday. However, the second hole brought an unexpected twist. Following a par on the first, McIlroy’s tee shot on the second hole veered far right and ended up in a bush. Upon reaching his ball, he discovered it partially wrapped in a banana peel and nestled under a tuft of grass. Because the peel was considered a loose impediment resting on the ball, he could not remove it without potentially moving the ball—thus, he had to play it as it lay.
McIlroy on the banana peel incident
Currently ranked second in the world, McIlroy explained the bizarre moment after his round: ‘It was kind of a double whammy – it was in tough grass and under a banana peel…’ He added, ‘It was a loose impediment on the ball. If I had moved the banana peel, the ball would have moved too, so I didn’t even try. I probably shouldn’t have gone over there in the first place, but yeah, I wasn’t exactly at my best from the start.’
Double bogey derails McIlroy’s round
McIlroy carded a six on the second hole at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, resulting in a double bogey. Despite the setback, he managed six birdies and one more bogey during the rest of the round, finishing the day tied for 24th place ahead of Sunday’s final round. The origin of the banana peel remains a mystery.