Maybe Rory McIlroy’s luck is changing. In his first round since losing the Irish Open in agonising scenes on Sunday, the world No 3 watched in disbelief as he hit an approach shot to seven feet – but only after the head of his nine-iron flew off down the fairway.
It is fair to say that it was an eventful opening morning here at the BMW PGA Championship for the Northern Irishman as he tried to shrug off a collection of near-misses to win for the fourth time this season.
Having seen his challenge at Royal County Down break down in heartbreaking fashion – he was two clear with four to play before Rasmus Hojgaard made the most of a few huge breaks to pip him at the line – McIlroy declared that he was “getting used” to falling inches short.
In June, he bogeyed three of the last four at the US Open to hand the trophy to Bryson DeChambeau and labelled himself “the Nearly Man”. Of course, three titles in a calendar year is an achievement for the common professional, but there is nothing remotely average about the 35-year-old, as he re-emphasised his box-office qualities yet again.
With three holes left in the DP World Tour’s flagship event on the famous West Course, McIlroy was at the top of the leaderboard on six-under, having reeled off seven birdies to negate the single bogey on the seventh.
Yet as always with McIlroy, the numbers on the scorecard did not begin to do the drama justice. That dropped shot was a two-footer and on the next hole he was forced to play a putt with the back of his putter, due to his ball being on the edge of the water. The highlights reel kept on whirring.
As well as a 40-footer on the 13th to take the outright lead, there was a remarkable recovery shot from the heather on the 11th. But it what was happened on the par-five in between that was destined to go viral.
After a 332-yard drive – standard for McIlroy – he was in the middle of the fairway with 179 yards remaining. In the past few months, he has thrown a three-wood into a lake and snapped a driver in half when putting too much weight on the club as he went to pick up his tee.
But this was a new one, even for him, looking dumbfounded as the head sheared off his club and spiralled 20 yards ahead. By then, his ball had skipped off a bank to within seven feet. McIlroy duly missed the eagle putt. Naturally.
