Dubai: Rory McIlroy finished over par for the first time in 28 rounds at the DP World Tour Championship with a three over par 75 on Thursday.
The Northern Irishman didn’t speak to press afterwards because he was supposedly pulled away to do a mandatory and routine drugs tests, which all golfers are called upon to complete at random.
Whether that was just an excuse or not, it most definitely spared him the agony of having to explain his round to reporters.
The four-time major winner and current World No. 2 hit three bogeys on his front nine and three birdies, a bogey and a double bogey on his return — to sit tied for 55th in the leaderboard out of 60.
For the double bogey on the par four 16 he even had to take his shoes and socks off and get in the lake to rescue a shot from the water’s edge.
What makes his round so surprising is that this event is usually such a happy hunting ground for the 27-year-old.
In seven previous appearances, he’s won here twice in 2012 and 2015, has six top five finishes and has only finished outside the top 10 — with an 11th place finish — once in 2011.
In fact the worst round he had ever previously shot here was a level par 72 in 2010.
He’s mathematically still in with a chance of winning his fourth Race to Dubai this year if he can beat off competition from Henrik Stenson, Danny Willett and Alex Noren — but with this start it’s now highly unlikely.
