Rory McIlroy's Australian Open campaign has taken a surprising turn after the Northern Irishman encountered an unexpected obstacle on the course - a banana peel lodged in long grass.
The world number one carded a three-under 68 in the third round at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, but his round was overshadowed by a bizarre incident involving a discarded banana skin. McIlroy's ball landed in thick grass and under the banana peel after missing the fairway right on the par-four second hole.
Despite attempting to hit through the obstacle, the ball only travelled 30 feet before coming to rest, resulting in a double-bogey six. The error cost McIlroy nine strokes behind leader Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, who made birdie putts on 17 and 18 for a five-under 66.
McIlroy's round was marked by inconsistency, as he also recorded two bogeys and one birdie in the front nine. However, he bounced back to make four birdies over the final three holes, including a pair of clutch putts on the last two holes.
The former world number one is now tied for 24th at five under par, well behind Neergaard-Petersen's dominant display. McIlroy admitted that he shouldn't have been in the position to encounter the banana peel in the first place.
"I didn't get off to a great start, but I played well from there," said McIlroy. "I am probably going to be too far behind to challenge tomorrow... But I'd love the course to keep getting firmer and firmer. If it does, I think I could go out there and shoot something very low, eight or nine under."
The Australian Open is a major test of endurance for McIlroy, who has struggled with form in recent months. A top-10 finish would be an impressive result given the strong field at Royal Melbourne.
The world number one carded a three-under 68 in the third round at Royal Melbourne Golf Club, but his round was overshadowed by a bizarre incident involving a discarded banana skin. McIlroy's ball landed in thick grass and under the banana peel after missing the fairway right on the par-four second hole.
Despite attempting to hit through the obstacle, the ball only travelled 30 feet before coming to rest, resulting in a double-bogey six. The error cost McIlroy nine strokes behind leader Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, who made birdie putts on 17 and 18 for a five-under 66.
McIlroy's round was marked by inconsistency, as he also recorded two bogeys and one birdie in the front nine. However, he bounced back to make four birdies over the final three holes, including a pair of clutch putts on the last two holes.
The former world number one is now tied for 24th at five under par, well behind Neergaard-Petersen's dominant display. McIlroy admitted that he shouldn't have been in the position to encounter the banana peel in the first place.
"I didn't get off to a great start, but I played well from there," said McIlroy. "I am probably going to be too far behind to challenge tomorrow... But I'd love the course to keep getting firmer and firmer. If it does, I think I could go out there and shoot something very low, eight or nine under."
The Australian Open is a major test of endurance for McIlroy, who has struggled with form in recent months. A top-10 finish would be an impressive result given the strong field at Royal Melbourne.
. I mean, who expects to find a discarded snack on the course? It's like something out of a cartoon! The way he bounced back though, making four birdies over the final three holes... that shows his mental toughness is still on point 
.
. Still, that banana peel was a weird one... might've cost him some strokes 
.
, can't believe that banana peel got in the way of his game 
. The thing is, as a parent, you want your kids to learn from their mistakes and move forward, right? 
I think McIlroy handled it pretty well, admitted his mistake and still managed to bounce back 
.
. Sometimes we gotta accept that not everything goes according to plan & just move forward 
. It just goes to show that even when life (or a banana peel 
) gets in the way, we can still find a way to persevere & come out stronger on the other side 
Not exactly the kind of obstacle you want to face on the biggest stage. I feel bad for McIlroy, he was playing well until that moment and then it all fell apart. But you have to respect his attitude, he's still hopeful about getting back into contention if the course gets firmer. Maybe a little banana-themed luck would be just what he needs 
maybe someone should start carrying around a spare leaf blower on the course? anyway, fingers crossed for a strong finish tomorrow 
. I mean, can you imagine having to deal with a banana peel on the course? It's like something straight out of a cartoon! 
. I'm rooting for Rory to pull it together and make a comeback! 
maybe he can bounce back and give neergaard-petersen some competition on sunday. gotta feel for rory, though - golf is tough enough already, you don't need banana peels getting in the way 
That's what I'm talking about! 
hows he gonna recover from dis? its not just about the peal tho, hes playin pretty sketchy golf anyway, need to step up his game if he wanna catch up 