Rory McIlroy was briefly relatable to amateur golfers everywhere as cameras picked up his reaction to a rare mishit shot.
The season-opening Dubai Invitational is currently being led by the talented Northern Irish star, despite encountering a series of unfortunate events on Friday.
The initial indication of trouble arose at the par-5 fourth hole, where McIlroy executed what seemed to be an exceptional approach shot, setting himself up for an eagle putt.
However, despite his esteemed reputation as one of the greatest golfers in history, the world No.2 swiftly admitted that he had struck the ball poorly, resulting in an unexpected stroke of luck.
In a relatable remark that resonates with amateur golfers nationwide, McIlroy could be heard exclaiming ‘thin to win’ as the ball soared through the air.
McIlroy’s overnight lead was extended with a birdie, but his luck took a turn for the worse at the eighth hole. Demonstrating that even the best can have their off moments, he hit two balls into the water at the par-3. However, he managed to find the putting surface and two-putted for a quad-bogey seven.
Despite this setback, McIlroy’s dominance in Dubai remains evident. Apart from dropping four shots on one hole, the 34-year-old has been bogey-free in his other 35 holes so far.
Even with the stumble, McIlroy still maintains a two-shot lead over the chasing pack at the halfway stage. He managed to recover with three birdies on the back nine.
Yannick Paul and Jeff Winther are currently tied for second place, while Tommy Fleetwood and Rasmus Hojgaard, who are teammates in the Ryder Cup, are one shot behind them.
Reflecting on his performance, McIlroy stated that he played exceptionally well on the other 17 holes, hitting some impressive iron shots and maintaining a similar level of play compared to the previous day.
He acknowledged that he may have holed a few more putts yesterday, but the challenging conditions with increased wind and firm greens made it trickier today.
Despite a couple of mistakes on the eighth hole, McIlroy managed to regain his focus and finish the round with solid golf.
He also noted that many players found today’s conditions more difficult than yesterday, making it satisfying for him to still hold the lead heading into the weekend.
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