World No. 1 Rory McIlroy is facing a fine following a club throwing incident at the 12th hole on the opening day of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
McIlroy had driven out-of-bounds with his second shot and after taking a one-stroke penalty then put his fourth into a greenside bunker.
Rory McIlroy watching a putt during day one of the BMW PGA Championship. (Photo - Stuart Adams/www.golftourimages.com)
McIlroy angrily reacted by tossing his club some yards forward.
He walked from the hole with a bogey ‘6’ in an eventual round of a two over par 74.
“I was just trying to cut my second shot, and trying to hold it up against and just double crossed it,” he said.
“It ended up out-of-bounds by about an inch.”
McIlroy confirmed also the incident was ‘a release of pressure’.
The incident rekindled memories of Sergio Garcia being fined after his now infamous shoe kicking incident in losing 2 & 1 to Retief Goosen during the 1999 World Match-Play Championship at Wentworth.
More recently, it is believed Englang’s Nick Dougherty was fined after smashing a tee marker at the fourth hole at Wentworth during last year’s championship.
McIlroy’s round continues a poor kick-start in the Tour’s flagship event with the Ulsterman yet to break par on day one in five years.
His round was a mix of a fourth hole eagle, three birdies, five bogeys and a 16th hole double bogey.
“It was a bit of déjà vu from last year as I keep getting off to a good start and I was sort of making a few birdies around the turn but not getting any momentum going,” he said.
“So the exact same thing happened today. I was two under par after seven, feeling like I’m playing well, and then I make four bogeys in five holes.
“I struggled with the pace of the greens and it was hard to get the ball up to the hole this morning.
“So it’s pretty disappointing.”
