Rory McIlroy was on the wrong end of one of the craziest moments you'll ever see at a major championship on the 11th hole at Royal Portrush on Saturday, when he hit his ball from the rough and dug out a second embedded ball that was below his.

Rory McIlroy Aiming to Join Tiger Woods in Historic Record at Open Championship originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Rory McIlroy arrived at Royal Portrush buoyed by his victory at Augusta this April, hoping to exorcise the demons of his dramatic 2019 collapse here.

Rory McIlroy's third-round charge at The Open Championship was derailed in bizarre fashion on Saturday when he unwittingly performed a trick shot at the 11th hole. With one swish of his club, McIlroy not only hit his designated ball out of the rough to the right of the fairway but also dug out another ball that had been buried underneath the turf.

The world No. 1 leads the British Open by four shots and the SI Golf team debates whether the world No. 2 is the man to possibly run him down.

Rory McIlroy gives Royal Portrush an afternoon to remember during a captivating five-under 66 in front of enormous crowds during the Open Championship third round.

There was a moment in the middle of the afternoon Saturday at Royal Portrush where it still felt like anything was possible at the 2025 Open Championship. All scenarios were still on the table. Hope ran rampant around the property as the third round trundled on and player after player made birdie after birdie.

Rory McIlroy climbed the leaderboard Saturday at the 2025 Open Championship thanks in large part to an electric eagle putt on the par-five 12th.

Viewed from the fairway, Rory McIlroy's eagle on the 12th hole Saturday was captivating theater. It seemed too slow for the longest time as it trickled to the ridge just a few feet from the hole, but it hit the downslope at the perfect speed,