Rory McIlroy’s Saturday charge at The Open Championship a few weeks back was interrupted by one of the most bizarre incidents seen in recent major championship play.
The five-time major winner had been building momentum, birdieing three of his first four holes at Royal Portrush to get within striking distance of the lead. Standing on the 11th tee, he was four shots behind leader Scottie Scheffler and very much in the hunt.
Buried Ball Surprise Stops McIlroy’s Momentum
His tee shot strayed right, finding a trampled-down area where spectators had been walking. As McIlroy lined up his recovery shot, the lie wasn’t ideal — but what happened next was nearly unprecedented.
When Rory McIlroy made contact, his ball flew forward toward the fairway short of the green. At the same instant, another ball — previously buried in the ground — popped up and rolled just a few feet away from where McIlroy stood.
“Oh my god,” McIlroy exclaimed as he realized what had happened. He picked up the mystery ball, chuckled, and tossed it aside before continuing on. Even NBC’s on-course analyst Jim “Bones” McCabe seemed stunned as McIlroy asked him if he’d ever seen anything like it before.
The strange break may have cost him a chance at par. McIlroy couldn’t get up and down from just short of the green, taking a bogey that halted the momentum from his hot start.
Still, the Northern Irishman didn’t let the setback linger. On the very next hole — the par-5 12th — McIlroy buried a 56-foot eagle putt, sending the local crowd into a frenzy and breathing life back into his round.
While the leaderboard gap remained a challenge, the sequence perfectly encapsulated the chaos and drama of links golf: unpredictable bounces, strange encounters, and moments that players and fans will remember for years.
Regardless of McIlroy’s ultimate finish, the buried ball incident on the 11th will stand out as one of the most memorable moments of the 2025 Open.
