Rory McIlroy has revealed what one fan shouted at him after he managed to find the hospitality area on the 17th hole during his opening round at the RBC Canadian Open.
Rory McIlroy made a bright start to his week in Canada, making four birdies and not a single bogey to finish Thursday on -4 in Ontario.
The round leaves the Northern Irishman three shots off the lead in an event he has already won on two previous occasions, back in 2019 and 2022.
McIlroy actually opened up with nine pars at Hamilton, but it was certainly eventful, with the 35-year-old having to make a number of putts to keep the bogeys off his scorecard.
Rory McIlroy shares what fan told him on 17th hole during opening round at Canadian Open
He also had to work hard for his par on the par five 17th, initially having to take a drop after his 353-yard drive ended up in the hospitality area.
McIlroy – who was playing alongside home favourites Nick Taylor and Taylor Pendrith – had a bit of an interaction with the Canadian crowd as he approached his ball, and after his round, he explained what was said.
“Yeah, I obviously hit it into the hospitality and some guy yelled out, ‘you need a wristband to get in here’ so that was pretty funny,” he said.
Northern Irishman well placed after first round
McIlroy will take a lot of confidence from his opening round, particularly after his underwhelming, and often erratic performance at the PGA Championship earlier this month.
It was not flawless from the four-time major champion by any means, and clearly, he has plenty of work to do if he is going to clinch his third Canadian Open title this week.
But everyone in the field will be well aware of what McIlroy could be capable of if he is in full flight. He shot a final round 61 to win in 2019, and a 62 on Sunday three years later.
Hopefully the driver manages to behave itself over the next few years.
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