Rory McIlroy admits not knowing rules after bizarre two-shot penalty

Rory McIlroy was caught out by a rule change as he suffered a damaging two-shot penalty for an illegal drop at the AT&T Pebble Beach pro-am. 

McIlroy had made a promising start to his opening round, taking the lead at five-under through 10 holes at Spyglass Hill.

But the four-time major champion was completely derailed by a nightmare final four holes that he played in five-over par to sign for an underwhelming one-under 71.

After starting on the back-nine, McIlroy made three straight bogeys from the 6th, and his bogey turned into a disatrous triple on the par-5 7th after a bizarre rules breach.

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McIlroy pulled his tee shot left, took an unplayable lie but then assumed he was able to drop his ball within a club length right of his direct line.

From 2019 until 2023, that was the ruling, but the Rules of Golf now dictate that a player is required to drop on their direct line.

“So I took an unplayable on 7 and I took it back on-line,” McIlroy explained. “Then unbeknownst to me, the rule changed in January 2023 where you used to be able to come back on-line, take a club length either side. That was changed in 2019 to be able to do that.

“I wasn’t aware that that rule was changed again in 2023, so I took a drop thinking of the 2019 rules when everything was sort of changed, not knowing that the rule was changed again in 2023, so I got a two-stroke penalty there.”

Rory McIlroy has been assessed a two-stroke penalty after this drop on the par-5 seventh hole. pic.twitter.com/7PtnytRc5t

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 1, 2024

McIlroy now trails Belgian leader Thomas Detry by eight shots after letting his first round get away from him.

The PGA Tour’s lead TV Rules and Video Analyst Mark Dusabeck said: “When the rules changed in 2023, back-of-the-line relief, you still go back-of-the-line, in line with the flagstick, from where the ball is.

“However, you have to drop it on that line, and it can roll in any direction, even forward, one club length. Rory, from that line, dropped one club length to the side, which makes it a wrong place, and it will be a two-stroke penalty.

Ben Parsons joined bunkered as a Content Producer in 2023 and is the man to come to for all of the latest news, across both the professional and amateur games. Formerly of The Mirror and Press Association, he is a member at Halifax Golf Club and is a long-suffering fan of both Manchester United and the Wales rugby team.