“Oh god,” Rory McIlroy gasped as his ball fizzed a little higher than he anticipated. But then he burst into laughter, “I was on the golf ball!” The baffling moment on the 11th saw his second shot connect barely millimeters above a buried old golf ball, which proceeded to spit up and out of the ground at contact. The most remarkable golf shot in one of the most remarkable rounds of golf, as a legion of McIlroy supporters weaved their way around the links on a baking day at Royal Portrush. McIlroy’s audacious charge towards the imposing presence of Scottie Scheffler at the top of the leaderboard may well fall short on Sunday, but his presence, as the Masters champion, back home in Northern Ireland, conjured a unique moment. It epitomised how McIlroy remains one of the most engrossing athletes to watch in sport, all while Scheffler quietly dismantled both the course and field. There wasn’t a blemish in the world No 1’s round of 67, with his putter salvaging any minor wobbles. And while it secures a four-shot lead at -14 over Haotong Li at The Open 2025, the day belonged to McIlroy. The 38-year-old stirred early on, putting together three birdies in his first four holes before that bizarre and glorious combined for a five-under-par round of 66 to position him tied for fourth at -8. Rory McIlroy overcomes the bizarre to conjure thrilling charge at The Open