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US Open Rory McIlroy NIR on the 15th tee during the final round of the 124th US Open Championship, Pinehurst No2, Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA 16/6/2024. Picture Fran Caffrey / Golffile.ie All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Fran Caffrey Pinehurst Pinehurst No2 USA Copyright: xFranxCaffreyx

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US Open Rory McIlroy NIR on the 15th tee during the final round of the 124th US Open Championship, Pinehurst No2, Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA 16/6/2024. Picture Fran Caffrey / Golffile.ie All photo usage must carry mandatory copyright credit Golffile Fran Caffrey Pinehurst Pinehurst No2 USA Copyright: xFranxCaffreyx
Rory McIlroy found himself at the mercy of a banana peel in the middle of the Royal Melbourne course. In the third round of the Crown Australian Open, the Ulsterman’s drive on the 2nd hole missed the fairway and settled near a bush. Worse, it was actually sitting under a banana peel.
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Who threw it will remain a mystery, but for McIlroy, the predicament was the recovery shot. The banana peel draped the ball in a way that it was impossible to move that away without moving the ball in the process. Which, of course, meant a penalty for McIlroy.
The Masters champ, already struggling in the Country Down Under, didn’t want to take any chances. So the Ulsterman, in a desperate effort, tried to punch it out, but of course, his clubhead caught the bush and the banana peel. The ball traveled barely 30 feet. He ended up making a double bogey.
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Rory McIlroy eventually carded a 68 on moving day. Speaking about the ridiculous situation, he 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.” You can watch the bizarre moment below.
The infamous banana lie.@CrownResorts | #AusOpenGolf https://t.co/Nm6jCvPJce pic.twitter.com/eNUsWmBYUf
— Australian Open (@AusOpenGolf) December 6, 2025
McIlroy is having quite an eventful outing in Australia. In his second round, the European talisman found his ball under a tree on the par-5 14th hole. McIlroy tried to punch it out. But his clubhead caught the branches on the backswing, and McIlroy whiffed it. “Honestly, I can’t remember the last time I had a fresh-air shot. Not one of my finer moments,” he said later. As of now, he sits at T24.
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The banana peel and tea tree, for that matter, might look bizarre, but it’s actually kind of on-brand for Rory McIlroy. You see, he has a list of odd incidents on course.
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Rory McIlroy and his habit of getting into trouble
Just this year, during The Open Championship, it was Round 3 at the Royal Portrush. McIlroy was all set to make his second shot from the rough on the 11th. But guess what? When his swing bottomed out, another ball emerged from the ground. Apparently, the second ball was embedded in the ground a few inches ahead of McIlroy’s ball. He later tossed the extra aside. Luckily, a fan got his hand over it and later discovered that it was a Titleist 4.
“This is one of the weirdest, most ridiculous things I’ve ever seen,” he said later. “So strange.”
Then, around a decade ago, during the WGC-Cadillac Championship, McIlroy threw his 3-iron into a water hazard in a moment of frustration. The spectators saw the club sinking in front of their eyes. Later, a scuba diver dove headfirst and emerged with the club in his hand.
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Golf and its weird moments. For a seemingly slow and relaxing game, the sport always ends up having several one-of-a-kind moments. Right?
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