Dismissing cheating allegations, Rory McIlroy said he was hoping for a gust of wind to blow before the 10-second mark on the eighth-hole putt during the opening round of the Valero Texas Open.
On Thursday (April 4), McIlroy had an impeccable round, shooting a flawless 3-under 69. He managed to secure three birdies, with one of them being on the par-5 eighth hole. It was an impressive 13-foot putt that led to this birdie. However, a moment of suspense arose as the ball teetered on the edge of the hole, suggesting that another shot might be needed to sink it in. With anticipation building, the Northern Irishman approached the hole and took a brief pause before the ball finally descended into the cup.
During the post-round interview, McIlroy elaborated on the circumstances by stating that he had stepped away from the ball on two occasions because of the wind. He further mentioned that he could sense the wind blowing in his favor and was contemplating whether or not to proceed with the game. He added:
“When I ended up hitting the putt, there wasn’t really a ton of wind there and I thought I missed it on the left side. Obviously the ball hung on the edge and I was just hoping for a gust of wind to come to blow it in and thankfully it did before the 10-second mark.”
According to golf regulations, players are allotted a specific amount of time to reach the pin, after which the ball must fall within 10 seconds. Failure to do so results in a one-stroke penalty. Austin Eckroat experienced a comparable situation at the Players Championship a fortnight ago, but unlike McIlroy, he was not fortunate and incurred a penalty stroke.
When will Rory McIlroy begin the second round of the Valero Texas Open?
Rory McIlroy, a highly accomplished golfer with 24 PGA Tour victories, will commence the second round of the Valero Texas Open from the 10th tee at 8:53 am ET on Friday, April 5. In the initial two rounds at TPC San Antonio, he will be grouped alongside Rickie Fowler and Tommy Fleetwood.
Following his impressive first-round score of 69, McIlroy finds himself tied for eighth place with fellow golfers Ben Griffin, Matti Schmid, Adam Svensson, Russell Henley, Bronson Burgoon, Kevin Chappell, Peter Kuest, and Hayden Springer. However, he currently trails Akshay Bhatia by six strokes, as Bhatia aims to secure his spot in the upcoming Masters Tournament.
Bhatia held a three-stroke lead over Brendon Todd and Justin Lower, who both carded impressive rounds of 6-under 66. Meanwhile, Austin Eckroat, Denny McCarthy, Max Homa, and Tyson Alexander posted solid scores of 4-under 68.
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