Rory McIlroy’s frustration with his faltering form boiled over in the PGA Tour play-offs on Friday as he threw his three-wood into a pond – before feeling obliged to wade into the weeds to fish out the club.
The world No 3, who finished last but one in Sunday’s first FedEx Cup shootout that will see next week’s victor pick up $25 million (£22.3 million), was on his penultimate hole at the BMW Championship when his temper snapped.
As his tee-shot at the 17th headed into the rough, so he hurled his wood towards the water. However, if he wanted it to disappear for good, this was his second misjudgment in a matter of seconds – it only just made the wet stuff.
Certainly it lacked the endeavour of his most infamous club throw at Doral 10 years ago, when his three-iron was chucked so far into the lake that Donald Trump, the course owner and at that time future US President, had to employ a diver complete with breathing apparatus to recover it.
McIlroy went on to par the hole at the Castle Pines club in Denver on his way to a one-par 71, but on three-under he found himself 10 behind pacesetter Adam Scott.
Since finishing runner-up in June’s US Open – when the Northern Irishman seemed almost assured of winning his first major in 10 years until bogeying three of the last four holes and effectively handing the title to Bryson DeChambeau – McIlroy has largely struggled.
He did finish fifth in the Olympics but this was flanked by a missed cut at the Open at Royal Troon and then the tie for 68th in the 70-man field last week in Memphis.
McIlroy still has a chance to collect his fourth FedEx bounty next week in Atlanta and believes that it could turn a “pretty good year into a very good year”. However, his reaction in Colorado alone highlights the improvements need to be significant.
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