If you wanted further proof of the imagination deployed by players on a course, watch this incredible putter shot by world number 3 Rory McIlroy on Thursday at Wentworth!
After four consecutive birdies and a bogey on the 7th, Rory McIlroy found himself in an awkward position on the 8th, one of the few holes with water, at the Wentworth course in Surrey, southwest of London.
His second shot came to rest a few centimetres from the hazard on the green, so much so that the Northern Irishman had no room to position his feet on his first putt.
Rory McIlroy, results
Never mind, Rory grabbed his putter left-handed to “tinker” with a shot with the back of it.
Not an easy shot, especially with a mallet putter like that of the world number 3, but rather well negotiated by the four-time Major winner since he managed to save his par.
Rory McIlroy using his putter BACKWARDS! 😮#BMWPGA | #RolexSeries pic.twitter.com/yjHNboNqg0
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) September 19, 2024
He was born in Holywood, Northern Ireland, where he attended Sullivan Upper School. He belongs to the Holywood Golf Club, where he began his first training sessions followed by Michael Bannon, a coach he has retained until today.
McIlroy was part of the winning team of the Junior Ryder Cup in 2004, while in 2005 he became the youngest winner of both Irish tournaments, the West of Ireland Championship and the Irish Close Championship.
Also in 2005, at the North of Ireland Championship, played at The Royal Portrush, he broke the course record with a 61 at the age of 16, a record still unbeaten in 2019 at the occasion of The Open Championship, played at The Royal Portrush.
In August 2006, he won the European Amateur Championship at the Golf Club Le Betulle in Biella, Piedmont, with a score of 274 (65-69-72-68), 3 less than Englishman Lewton Stephen.
In October 2006, he represented Ireland in the Eisenhower Trophy and the Amateur World Team Championship.
On February 6, 2007, he became the second man to lead the World Amateur Golf Rankings, although he lost the lead after just one week.
McIlroy shot an opening round of 68, 3 under par, at the 2007 Open Championship at Carnoustie, which put him in provisional third place, three shots off the leader. In the same opening round, he was also the only player in the field to finish without a single bogey. He shot 5 over par in the second round to take him to +2 overall, but still earned a third-round cut. He finished 2 over par in the third round and 1 over par in the fourth round to finish in 42nd place, the best amateur.
McIlroy was part of the Great Britain & Ireland team at the 2007 Walker Cup.
His first appearance on the European Tour came at the 2005 British Masters, a few days after turning 16. He made the cut for the first time on a European Tour at the age of 17, at the 2007 Dubai Desert Classic, where he also had to forfeit the €7,600 prize because of his amateur status.