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Dismissing cheating allegations, Rory McIlroy said he was hoping for a gust of wind to blow before the 10-second mark on the eighth-hole putt during the opening round of the Valero Texas Open.
McIlroy had a blemish-free round on Thursday (April 4), as he fired a bogey-free 3-under 69. He made three birdies and one of them came on the par-5 eighth hole, where he hit a 13-footer. However, a little drama happened as the ball stopped on the edge and it seemed it would take one more shot to push it in. The Northern Irishman walked towards the hole and paused for a while before the ball dropped in.
Explaining the situation in the post-round interview, McIlroy said that he had backed off the ball twice due to the wind. He added that he could feel the wind at his back and was wondering if he should play the game or not. He added:
"When I ended up hitting the putt, there wasn't really a ton of wind there and I thought I missed it on the left side. Obviously the ball hung on the edge and I was just hoping for a gust of wind to come to blow it in and thankfully it did before the 10-second mark."
As per the rules of golf, the player gets enough time to reach the pin, following which the ball needs to drop within 10 seconds. Otherwise, he is handed a one-stroke penalty. A similar incident happened with Austin Eckroat at the Players Championship two weeks ago. However, he wasn't as lucky as McIlroy and was given a stroke penalty.
When will Rory McIlroy begin the second round of the Valero Texas Open?
The 24-time PGA Tour winner will begin the second round of the Valero Texas Open from the 10th tee at 8:53 am ET on Friday, April 5. He is grouped with Rickie Fowler and Tommy Fleetwood for the first two rounds at TPC San Antonio.
After his first-round 69, Rory McIlroy is tied for eighth, alongside Ben Griffin, Matti Schmid, Adam Svensson, Russell Henley, Bronson Burgoon, Kevin Chappell, Peter Kuest, and Hayden Springer. He is six strokes behind Akshay Bhatia who is looking to book his berth at the Masters Tournament next week.
Brendon Todd and Justin Lower were three strokes behind Bhatia after posting a 6-under 66. Austin Eckroat, Denny McCarthy, Max Homa, and Tyson Alexander shot 4-under 68.
