Rory McIlroy got a two-shot penalty due to a 2023 rule change during a sloppy finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in the first round. He had a good start in the beginning, but soon ended up receiving three consecutive bogeys and got caught out by a rule change.
Until hole 5, McIlroy secured four birdies, but a triple bogey and two other bogeys landed him at 71. In addition to that, an illegal drop on the seventh also put a two-shot penalty on him. This experience in his first PGA Tour event of 2024 made him go through a bad start.
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
The reason why McIlroy got the penalty is because he dropped his ball to the right of the line leading to the hole, and since there was a rule change in 2023 after 2019, this is considered something that is not allowed as the ball should flow in a direct line going to the hole. McIlroy even explained why he made this mistake.
Rory McIlroy Describes The Reason Why He Made The Penalty
The four-time major winner began describing the incident, saying,
“So I took an unplayable on 7 and I took it back online. Then unbeknownst to me the rule changed in January 2023 where you used to be able to come back online, take a club length either side.”
Added to that, he explained further,
“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 got a two-stroke penalty there.”
McIlroy also shared that he played well in the first 14 holes, but later his game started to worsen. He thinks his game is in good shape and he’s comfortable on the ground. Belgian golfer Thomas Detry is currently leading the game after Thursday’s round, and it is to be seen which golfer takes home the title.
