Was Rory McIlroy penalized for hitting two balls simultaneously at the Open Championship

Rory McIlroy caused a stir during the third round of the 2025 Open Championship at Royal Portrush when he unintentionally struck his own ball while dislodging a hidden ball buried in the rough. The incident happened on the par-4 11th hole and immediately caught the attention of fans and officials, but no penalty was given.

After sending his tee shot into the deep rough on the right side of the fairway, McIlroy attempted to muscle his ball toward the green. As McIlroy swung, his club made clean contact with his ball, but also knocked loose another ball that had been completely buried beneath the grass. While McIlroy's ball soared forward, the stray ball popped up near his feet. Surprised, McIlroy paused, smiled, and held up the extra ball to the amused crowd.

Under the Rules of Golf, players are not penalized for moving or striking a foreign ball that is not in play, so long as they continue with their own. In this case, the second ball was an abandoned or lost ball that had been sitting undetected in the rough. Officials confirmed there was no rules violation, and Rory McIlroy’s score stood as played.

McIlroy went on to bogey the hole, but quickly responded with a spectacular 56-foot eagle putt on the 12th. The moment brought a huge roar from the crowd and helped McIlroy maintain momentum in his round.

McIlroy had started the day at three under par, seven shots behind leader Scottie Scheffler, who had posted a brilliant 7-under 64 in the second round. The Northern Irishman himself had carded a 69 on Friday, one shot better than his Thursday round. Apart from that, Rory McIlroy had missed the cut by a stroke in 2019.

Rory McIlroy confident after two rounds at the 2025 Open Championship

PGA: The 153rd Open - Second Round - Source: Imagn

Rory McIlroy finished the second round of the 2025 Open Championship seven shots behind the leader. Still, he believes he is playing close to his best and feels confident about his chances. On Friday, July 18, the Northern Irish golfer shot a 2-under 69 at Royal Portrush. With four birdies and two bogeys, McIlroy reached a total of 3-under and stood tied for 12th place after two rounds.

Speaking after his round, McIlroy looked back on his difficult experience at Portrush in 2019.

“I feel like I let myself down more than I let the fans down, but I definitely felt like it was a hard pill to swallow, but at the same time, I left myself too much to do,” McIlroy said.

“Then this time, I’ve just gotten better. I know what I need to do to get the best out of myself in an environment like that. I’ve been somewhat close to my best over the first two days in little bits here and there. I’m going to need to have it all under control and have it sort of all firing over the weekend to make a run,” McIlroy added.

Rory McIlroy also shared how much it means to play at Royal Portrush again, with fans supporting him. Moving forward, McIlroy expressed gratitude for his position at the 2025 Open. He showed excitement as he entered the weekend. The third round of the Open is underway at the time of writing this.