Rory McIlroy has been confronted by some bizarre golfing scenarios in recent months, but none quite as odd as the one he faced Saturday at the Australian Open.
A day after recording a rare ‘whiff’ (an air shot) as a professional, the Masters champion found himself in an even more surprising scenario during his third round in Melbourne when a wayward drive on the second hole nestled in the strangest of lies within the rough.
To McIlroy’s astonishment, it wasn’t only the thick grass away from the fairway that he had to deal with, but also a banana skin, presumably consumed by a spectator nearby.
Have you ever seen this before?! 🤔
Rory McIlroy double bogeys the second hole after finding his ball next to a banana 🍌#AusOpenGolf pic.twitter.com/229POQPHct
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) December 6, 2025
As the peel was partially covering the ball, McIlroy’s options were limited. There are no specific rules covering such an isolated incident, although golfers are allowed to move loose impediments on the course as long as their ball does not move in the process.
McIlroy decided against this option because if his ball had moved, he would have incurred a one-stroke penalty. Instead, he was forced into an attempted recovery shot, but failed to connect properly, and after watching his ball land just 10 yards ahead of him, he had to settle for a double bogey.
The Northern Irishman finished his round at Royal Melbourne 5 under par and is nine shots behind the leader, Denmark’s Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen. Asked by reporters about the incident after the round, McIlroy said: “It was sort of a double whammy — it was in the tough grass and under a banana skin — but I shouldn’t have been there in the first place.”
McIlroy has had a successful year with the Masters and the Players Championship as his standout victories in 2025. He was also a part of Europe’s successful Ryder Cup team, claiming 3.5 points as his side triumphed at Bethpage in New York.
Hitting a shot off a banana skin was certainly one of McIlroy’s more unusual acts of the year, but not the only one. On Friday, he missed the ball completely — which under the laws of golf counts as a shot, as he had addressed the ball — while trying to play out from under the trees. He told reporters afterwards he “couldn’t remember the last time I had a fresh air (swing)”, but he still made the cut.
Hole 14: Misses the ball and makes bogey on a par five 😡
Hole 15: Nearly drives the green and becomes only the eighth player to birdie the 15th 🔥
McIlroy now sits within the cut line 💪#AusOpenGolf pic.twitter.com/nX2bZMMjr8
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) December 5, 2025
In July, at The Open held at his home course of Royal Portrush, McIlroy hit a recovery shot from the rough, resulting in another barely believable moment. As he struck the shot, another ball popped out of the ground and settled just a few feet away from him. That did not incur a penalty.
Rory McIlroy hits one ball and another (circled) pops up at Royal Portrush. (Andy Buchanan / AFP via Getty Images)
The 36-year-old completes his final round in Melbourne on Sunday but admits any hopes of a victory have faded.
“I’ll probably be a little too far behind to try to challenge on Sunday,” he said. “I will try to end the week on a positive note and shoot my lowest score.”
