Rory McIlroy has saved some pars in his short professional career but never from the branch of a dead tree.

McIlroy was off to a blistering start on day three of the year’s final Major with back-to-back birdies before the bizarre incident on the third hole of the Ocean Course at Kiawah Island.

Officials moved the tee forward at the par four, third hole tempting players to go for the green.

However McIlroy’s ball was then lost to observers and with he and his caddy looking around in the undergrowth.

But TV coverage from the Metlife blimp high over the course was able to identify the location of McIlroy’s ball that had in fact, landed in behind a piece of bark on the dead branch of a dead tree guarding the green.

McIlroy then reached just over head height into the branch of the tree to extract his ball, but also declaring the ball unplayable and having to take a penalty drop.

However McIlroy pulled off a super wedge shot landing the ball some five feet from the flag and saving par.

Rory McIlroy reaches into the dead tree branch to retrieve his golf ball.

Rory McIlroy looks to confirm it is his golf ball.

McIlroy was quizzed about the incident when storms halted play for the day near 6.15pm local time.

“I got up there and I knew the line of the ball was right on the tree,” he said.

“So, you know, I was just like, well, if it hit the tree, I’m sure it’s just somewhere around here in these long grass things or in the wood chip or whatever.

“We’d been looking for it for maybe about three minutes and then one of the guys from ‑‑ that was working for the TV came over and said, you know, it’s actually stuck in the tree.

“I’m like, how can it be stuck in this thing?  There’s no branches, no leaves for it to be stuck in.  But it had wedged itself in between the tree bark and the actual tree, so I was just happy to get it up‑and‑down for four and move on to the next.  I thought it was very important to do that, especially after birdieing the first two holes.

“I think that’s the first time a ball has ever got stuck up a tree on me.  Hopefully it doesn’t happen again.”