If you’re looking for the definition of a roller coaster round of golf you only had to follow World No. 1 Rory McIlroy around the Australian Club course on day three of the Emirates Australian Open.

McIlroy commenced his round after a pair of opening 69s to be at four under par and just one shot from the lead.

But what then transpired over the next four-and-a-half hours was pure golfing drama and leaving McIlroy no chance of joining Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player as the only non-Australian born golfers to have successfully defended the Australian Open.

Here’s a virtual blow-by-blow of McIlroy’s third round in his defence of the Stonehaven Trophy.

First Hole – Tees up alongside Australians Greg Chamber and Adam Crawford for a first time.  McIlroy holes a testy putt for PAR.

Second Hole – McIlroy next holes great 12 foot par for PAR

Third Hole – McIlroy’s second shot flies the green and lands on a bank but then rolls down onto a cart path from where he is afforded relief.  His wedge third shot rolls some six feet past the flag but McIlroy makes PAR.

Rory gets ruling at the back of the 3rd green with his ball still on the cart path.

McIlroy about to play his third shot at the back of the third green.

Fourth Hole – McIlroy’s tee shot goes through the through the green.  He finds the green with his third but his 15-foot par putt lips out – BOGEY.

Fifth Hole – McIlroy plays a superb shot to four feet and holes the putt – BIRDIE

Sixth Hole – McIlroy launches another long drive down the middle but fails to take advantage of his length of the tee walking off with PAR.

Seventh Hole – The World No. 1 canons another booming drive down the fairway measuring some 360-meters and leaving himself some 50 yards but plays a poor wedge shot that is 30-feet short ahead of a two putt PAR.

Eighth Hole – McIlroy’s drive finds the right rough and with his second left of the green from where he chips and putts for PAR.

Ninth Hole – McIlroy’s drive is left on this occasion but with his ball buried in tussocks of grass.  McIlroy elects to attack the ball but only managing to bury it deeper and resulting in having to take an unplayable penalty shot.  McIlroy takes a drop and is now playing his fourth that is well right and in the tree line and about 60 yards from the flag.  McIlroy finds the green with his fifth and then two putts – TRIPLE BOGEY

Rory again in discussion with a rules official at the 8th hole.

Rory and his caddy looking for their ball at the 8th hole

Rory McIlroy in trouble at the par four 9th hole on route to taking a horror triple bogey ‘7’. (Photo – www.ausopengolf.com)

Tenth Hole – McIlroy walks to the tee having slipped from a share of the lead to a tie for seventh place.  He then plays another wild tee shot and this time right of the fairway.  He gets to his ball to find it is resting up against a twig but can’t remove it fearing his ball may move.  McIlroy sizes up his shot but ‘duffs’ the chip before finding the green with his fourth and then two putting for – DOUBLE BOGEY.

A twig rests right up against Rory McIlroy’s ball at the 10th hole.

Rory McIlroy about to play his second at the 10th but he leaves the ball within the tree line but manages to save par.

Eleventh Hole – McIlroy plays a superb tee shot at the par three hole to around five feet and holes the putt for BIRDIE.

Twelfth Hole – McIlroy’s tee shot is right off the tee and coming to rest on a bank but with the ball above his feet he finds the green and two putts for par.

Thirteenth Hole – For a second day running the four-time Major winner walks off with a BOGEY.

Fourteenth Hole – After a birdie on day one and then an eagle on day two McIlroy can only manage a PAR.

Fifteenth Hole – At the last of the par threes McIlroy holes a three footer for PAR.

Sixteenth Hole – McIlroy’s shoulders again drop as he falls to six over par for his round missing a short par putt and taking BOGEY.

Sevententh Hole – McIlroy finds the green in regulation leaving himself around 15 feet to the hole but he misreads the putt – PAR.

Eighteeth Hole –  A big crowd was again applauding after McIlroy split the fairway but then after waiting some minutes for the group ahead to leave the green McIlroy’s second shot only just cleared the water guarding the green, and landing on a bank.   He then superbly chips to just 18 inches for BIRDIE.

McIlroy picks the ball out of the cup on the 18th after a round of 76.

McIlroy headed to the scorer’s hut to sign for a five over par 76.

McIlroy walked the course having gone from a share of lead to tumble to tie for 14th place and while he missed the cut in the Irish Open, the World No. 1 is staring at his poorest four-round finish since a share of 23rd in this year’s US Open.

“The wind was up. I was doing okay, steady enough, until I got to the ninth,” said McIlroy.

“I hit a wayward tee-shot into what I thought was a decent enough lie that I could advance the ball. But I didn’t realise what I was standing on is not like dirt or earth. It was more like carpet. So the ball went underneath the carpet. Had it been a normal surface it would have been alright, but down there it was impossible.

“So that added up to a seven. Then I did what I did last week in Dubai (when he double-bogeyed two holes in succession during the third round of the DP World Tour Championship) and compounded that error with another just about as bad. I got a huge flier with a wedge. The ball pitched at 160-yards into the wind which is ridiculous. Over the last few holes I was just trying to hang on really.

“I now need a fast start tomorrow to have a chance.

“It depends too on what the guys ahead of me do. I need some help. But the greens have been firmer every day. So a low score is higher than it was. I still feel like I can shoot a good one. I just don’t know if that will be enough. I’ll be trying my best. It’s the last round of the season so it would be nice to make it a good one.”