Torrid start for Rory McIlroy on the first day at Augusta National, highlighted when he blocked his second to the seventh and hit his own father on the leg!
Rory McIlroy’s tough start to the 85th Masters was also painful for his dad, who was hit in the leg by a stray shot from his son on the seventh hole.
After starting with four pars, McIlroy dropped shots at the fifth and sixth and then pulled his drive left of the fairway at the tough seventh, but his bold attempt to reach the green in two resulted only in a bruise for father Gerry.
Aiming to hit a sweeping draw around the pines, McIlroy blocked his mid-iron and clearly yelled “fore” as his ball veered towards the patrons on the right, although it appeared the warning shouts were not enough to alert his father.
Gerry McIlroy was walking towards the green when his son’s ball hit him on the side of the leg, but at least he didn’t divert it into deep trouble!
“I should ask for an autographed glove,” joked Gerry to reporters. McIlroy Jnr, however, was far from all smiles as he was unable to get up-and-down and carded a third straight bogey and, although he clawed one back at the long eighth, he dropped another shot at the ninth to turn in 39 – three over par.
Worse was to follow on the back-nine, pulling his second into the pond to the left of the 11th green, and he then lost another ball in the water at the long 13th running up a deflating six to slide to five over par for the tournament.
Watch the video above to see McIlroy’s stray shot at the seventh hit his own father on the leg!
