Rory McIlroy endured a rollercoaster round during the final day of the BMW Championship Sunday.
The four-time major winner’s troubles began on the ninth hole of Castle Pines Golf Club in Colorado.
The Northern Irishman snapped his driver in half in what appeared to be a freak accident after hitting his tee shot at the par-four.
The world No. 3 fired off a wayward shot with his ball coming to rest on the bank just above a creek that meanders down the right side of the fairway, narrowly avoiding the drink.
McIlroy used the club as a crutch as he leaned over to pick up his tee but was almost sent tumbling as it gave way beneath him, bending and shattering.
Rory McIlroy endured a rollercoaster round during the final day of the BMW Championship
The Northern Irishman snapped his driver in half after hitting his tee shot at the ninth
McIlroy was unfortunately not allowed to replace it and was forced play the remaining nine holes of his round driverless.
Players are allowed to replace damaged clubs without a penalty according to PGA Tour rules, as long as the damage occurred the replacement doesn’t cause a significant delay.
The incident came after McIlroy has endured a torrid couple of days at the BMW Championship – the penultimate tournament of the PGA Tour season and second event of the FedEx Cup playoffs.
Earlier in the tournament on Friday, he lashed out in frustration after hitting his tee shot wide right on the 17th.
Unable to contain his composure, the 35-year-old lost his cool for a minute, chucking his golf club into the body of water right in front of him, forcing a shocked silence from the crowd and a splash in the water.
However, on Sunday it was the PGA Tour star himself taking a trip to the water.
Down a club and facing a rather unconventional approach, after faring his tee shot to the right and just avoiding the creek, McIlroy began stripping down.
For his second shot, McIlroy was forced to take off his shoes and socks and take a dip as he balanced one foot on a rock and one in the water.
McIlroy had to strip off his shoes and socks to play his second shot from the water at the ninth
McIlroy threw his golf club into the water in frustration after a shot gone wrong on Friday
The four-time major champion angrily collected his club from the water before storming off
He managed to fire his approach shot into the green and save par. However, he reached the turn at one-over, 14 shots off the lead.
This summer has been a difficult one for McIlroy as he came astonishingly close to winning his fifth golf major, instead finishing second at the US Open to Bryson DeChambeau.
After missing two putts in the closing stages of the competition to give DeChambeau the title instead.
McIlroy then failed to make the final cut at The Open, before managing to finish just outside the medals at the 2024 Paris Olympics, placing fifth.
