In the opening round of the BMW PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy was playing his second shot on the par-5 12th hole and lost the clubhead on his 9-iron.
Despite the equipment malfunction, the Northern Irishman managed to land his ball within seven feet of the pin.
McIlroy said he didn’t watch his ball’s flight as he was distracted by the equipment issue.
Rory McIlroy's club head flying off ????#BMWPGA | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/bHfTOjqV4p
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 19, 2024
“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.”
Unfortunately, McIlroy missed the short eagle putt and had to settle for a tap-in birdie. He chased that birdie, though, with another gain on 13 to take the tournament lead on 6 under. That, though, turned out to be the high point for McIlroy’s opening round.
After a hat trick of pars on Nos. 14-16, McIlroy entered Wentworth’s iconic pair of closing par 5s with a chance to pad his score. Instead, he made a mess of both scoring holes and finished par-bogey to fall back to 5 under.
The four-time major winner sits T4 alongside Shane Lowry, Robert MacIntyre and Billy Horschel, among others.
Matthew Baldwin was the surprise round-one leader. The 38-year-old Englishman, ranked 363rd in the world, secured the pole position with a bogey-free 65, one clear of Niklas Norgaard and Thomas Detry, who shared the second spot on 6-under 66.
Watch Rory McIlroy Lose His Clubhead at the BMW PGA Championship
Have you ever seen this before? ????
Rory McIlroy's club head comes off after impact…#BMWPGA | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/eaF51JCvBy
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 19, 2024
BMW PGA Championship
Top 5: Rd 1 Leaderboard
1. Matthew Baldwin -7 (65)
2. Niklas Norgaard -6 (66)
2. Thomas Detry -6 (66)
4. Rory McIlroy -5 (67)
4. Shane Lowry -5 (67)
4. Robert MacIntyre -5 (67)
4. Billy Horschel -5 (67)
4. Matteo Manassero -5 (67)
4. Victor Perez -5 (67)
4. Ugo Coussaud -5 (67)
4. Marcus Armitage -5 (67)
4. Dan Bradbury -5 (67)
