Banana drama at the Crown Australian Open: Rory McIlroy finds his ball under a banana peel and walks away with a double bogey.
Rory McIlroy experienced a bizarre moment during the third round of the Crown Australian Open on the DP World Tour. After a steady round of 68 on Friday, the Northern Irishman hoped to climb the leaderboard on Saturday. But things took an unexpected turn on the second hole at Royal Melbourne Golf Club. After a par on the first, McIlroy’s tee shot on the second veered far right and ended up in a bush. Upon reaching the ball, he discovered it nestled under a tuft of grass and nearly wrapped in a banana peel. Unable to remove the peel without moving the ball, McIlroy had to play it as it lay, resulting in a difficult shot.
McIlroy explains the banana bogey
Currently ranked No. 2 in the world, McIlroy explained the odd situation after his round: ‘It was kind of a double whammy – it was in tough grass and under a banana peel…’ He continued: ‘It was a loose impediment lying on the ball. If I had moved the banana peel, the ball would have shifted too, so I didn’t even try. Honestly, I probably shouldn’t have gone over there in the first place, but yeah, I wasn’t exactly at my best today.’
Double bogey and a tough day on course
McIlroy carded a six on the par-4 second hole, resulting in a double bogey. Despite the early setback, he managed six birdies and another bogey to finish the round tied for 24th ahead of Sunday’s final round. The origin of the banana peel remains a mystery.
Have you ever seen this before?! 🤔
Rory McIlroy double bogeys the second hole after finding his ball next to a banana 🍌#AusOpenGolf pic.twitter.com/229POQPHct
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) December 6, 2025