Rory McIlroy shot a 5-under 67 at the BMW PGA Championship on Thursday, but it wasn't easy.
The Northern Irishman was 4 under through six holes. From there, his form was inconsistent, including a left-handed putt and equipment trouble on the par-5 12th.
On the 12th hole, McIlroy's second shot had the club head fly out. It was crazy to see that happen, and the best part was that the ball landed a little over six feet from the hole. He went on to make birdie.
The video is insane, but seeing still photos of the impact is even more shocking.
It seems impossible to see the club head floating in the air while the ball flies in a straight line. How does that ball maintain its trajectory?
“It felt a little weird. I hit the ball, you know, obviously you'd expect the weight of the club to move the ball, but nothing happened,” McIlroy said. “Thankfully, it went where I wanted it to go. It could have been a lot worse, but thankfully, I fixed it and should be good to go tomorrow.”
That crazy moment wasn't the only weird thing McIlroy did Thursday at Wentworth Golf Club. Earlier, he had to use the back of his putter to hit a left-handed putt on the par-4 eighth hole.
McIlroy made par on that hole, but it was still crazy to see him flip his putter and hit it from behind.
“Hopefully, I won't be left-handed again this week,” he said. “I hit it on the sideline of the water on the eighth hole, and I didn't hit it right-handed. I hit it pretty well – at least my speed was basically right. I didn't hit it right, but I got it in the hole for par and then moved to the ninth tee very quickly, which was very satisfying.”
Regardless of those two crazy moments, McIlroy is still competitive. A 5-under 67 was a great start to the BMW PGA Championship. He is currently one shot behind the lead.
After all these moves, he is still satisfied with this result. McIlroy tried his best to save two shots, otherwise he would not be able to go out all day. Instead, it seems that luck is on his side and he will have a chance to redeem himself after that heartbreaking loss in Ireland.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is SB Nation’s Playing Through golf columnist. For more golf coverage, follow us on @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @golf_girl_sl.