Rory McIlroy is playing the Scottish Open this week.
Sure, he returns to The Renaissance Club as the defending champion, but the venue in North Berwick is one that he will always remember for different reasons.
That’s because it was the scene of the most bizarre exchange of his entire career.
At the 2021 Scottish Open, McIlroy had work to do to make the cut.
Before he had even struck a single shot in his second round, a spectator wandered on to the 10th tee box (his first of the day) and brazenly removed a club from his golf bag before taking a couple of practice swings.
The spectator tried to take McIlroy’s driver out, but only the headcover came free, so he reached for an iron.
McIlroy, his caddie Harry Diamond and playing partner Jon Rahm were visibly bemused by the individual, who was promptly removed by security after they realised he shouldn’t have been inside the ropes.
For what it’s worth, McIlroy was completely untroubled by the whole affair.
He went on to miss the cut.
Remind yourself of the moment here:
What they said after…
Rory McIlroy
“You all saw it on TV. So you know what happened. I was surprised.
“But it was handled efficiently, and everything was okay.
“I had no idea who it was.
“Yes, there is a serious aspect to something like that. But it was handled well.”
Jon Rahm
“Let me put it this way: You could smell the reason why he did what he did. He was clearly not sober. I’m going to say it was vodka.
“I’m no expert, but he had a long night for sure. He probably thought it was a fun idea. And, to be fair, it was quite funny.
“At one point I thought he was going to Happy Gilmore the headcover. I don’t think it put Rory off.
“He hit maybe his best drive of the tournament off that tee. He started playing beautifully.
“If anything it put a smile on our faces. It’s a pretty good story to tell in the future.”
What happened to the spectator?
At the time, Police Scotland confirmed they were called to club at around 8am to reports of a man causing a disturbance within the grounds.
A 35-year-old male was taken to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, the force said.
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