VIRGINIA WATER, England — Rory McIlroy lost the clubhead on his 9-iron and then lost the lead by going out of bounds on the last hole in shooting an eventful 5-under 67 in the first round of the BMW PGA Championship on Thursday.
The No. 3-ranked McIlroy bounced back well from the pain of being denied victory at his home Irish Open last week, overcoming a bizarre incident on the par-5 No.
12 when the head of his 9-iron detached from the shaft and flew down the fairway after McIlroy took his second shot. The Northern Irishman said he didn't even see the ball reach the green and settle inside 7 feet from the pin to set up one of his seven birdies. «It was a bit of a weird feeling,» McIlroy said. «Obviously you're expecting the weight of the club to just pull through and there was nothing there.» Have you ever seen this before?