Mcilroy Penalized Two Shots After Video Shows Lie Improvement in Abu Dhabi

WHO:

NY Post - Rory McIlroy received a two-shot penalty after his first round at the Abu Dhabi Championship.

BBC - McIlroy is a Northern Ireland golfer, a six-time major winner and the world number two; he was pursuing a record-equalling eighth Race to Dubai title.

BBC - The DP World Tour issued a statement explaining the ruling and the applicable golf rule.

BBC - Francesco Laporta led the tournament; Eugenio Chacarra and American Patrick Reed were also playing alongside McIlroy.

BBC - Chacarra led the Race to Dubai season standings after three victories that season; Reed was second in the standings, one position ahead of McIlroy.

Fox News - A close-up video showed McIlroy’s wedge pressing down grass behind his ball.

WHAT:

NY Post - Officials ruled that McIlroy had improved his lie and assessed a two-shot penalty.

BBC - The incident occurred on the par-four 12th. After McIlroy’s first chip rolled back down a hill and settled in a divot, a tuft of grass appeared to move as he pressed his club behind the ball.

BBC - The penalty changed McIlroy’s score on the hole from six to a quadruple-bogey eight. His only dropped shots of the round were on that hole; he signed for a two-under 70, leaving him tied with Chacarra at two under and eight shots behind Laporta.

BBC - McIlroy said, “obviously there's no intent,” and “I'm happy to accept the penalty.” He said, “I play by the rules,” and that the video “doesn't look very good.”

BBC - McIlroy said he had been trying to get a feel for the lie, described the ball as being “in a sort of bottom of a sandy divot,” and said he was trying to get a 54-degree wedge onto the back of the ball.

BBC - The first-round leaderboard listed Laporta at 10 under; S. Bairstow, Jon Rahm and B. Wiesberger at seven under; and McIlroy, Chacarra, Francesco Molinari and Tommy Fleetwood at two under. Patrick Reed finished at two over.

BBC - McIlroy turned in two-under 34, birdied the 11th, made three consecutive gains from the 14th, and did not birdie the par-five 18th. Reed double-bogeyed the final hole after finding water.

WHERE:

BBC - The penalty incident occurred at Yas Links during the Abu Dhabi Championship.

WHY:

BBC - The DP World Tour said McIlroy breached rule 8.1b(4): a player may ground a club lightly behind or in front of the ball, but may not press the club on the ground.

HOW:

BBC - The infraction was assessed after McIlroy completed his round.

BBC - The Tour explained that lightly grounding a club allows its weight to be supported by grass on or above the ground, even if the lie improves; pressing the club down is not allowed.

BBC - McIlroy said he accepted the penalty because he did not want people to think he had “got away with something.”

Rory McIlroy received a two-shot penalty after officials ruled he improved his lie. The ruling followed a video showing his wedge pressing grass behind his ball. His score became an eight on the hole, leaving him eight shots behind leader Francesco Laporta.