Someone, somewhere is celebrating the recovery of a golf ball they thought was lost forever at Portrush.
And they owe a serious debt of gratitude to Rory McIlroy after he discovered the lost ball in the most bizarre manner possible at this year’s Open Championship.
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McIlroy pulled off perhaps the most bizarre golf shot of all timeCredit: AFP via Getty
The Northern Irishman found himself in the rough following an errant effort off the tee on the 11th hole and looked to get on the green with a tidy approach shot.
But the moment he struck his own ball, a second one embedded beneath the surface emerged out of nowhere.
McIlroy had a perplexed look on his face as he knelt down to pick up the second ball and showed it off to the crowd.
“That has got to be a first, hasn’t it?” Sir Nick Faldo said on commentary for Sky Sports. “What are the odds of that? This is unbelievable.
“He was very fortunate to miss the burns but lands on an old golf ball. What a story.”
McIlroy said after his round: “What happened on 11, my ball came out so strange. I thought I was going to get a flier and I looked up at my ball and I could see it spinning up against the wind.
“I obviously had no idea there was a ball anywhere close to my ball.
“The most weird, ridiculous thing I’ve ever seen. It’s never happened to me before.
“It could never happen on any other course but a links course as well. When the rough is all matted down and the balls get… it was very strange.
Amid the craziness, McIlroy’s ball landed short of the green and left him in a tricky spot.
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The Northern Irishman somehow unearthed a ball that wasn’t his…Credit: AFP via Getty
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And could barely believe the discoveryCredit: AFP via Getty
He ultimately recorded his first bogey of the third round.
However, McIlroy immediately rebounded with a scintillating eagle on the 12th.
A 362-yard drive set McIlroy up perfectly and followed that up with a brilliant 174-yard strike that got him onto the green.
But it was his remarkable 56-foot putt that sent the crowd at Portrush into raptures.
“It has been a long time since he made a birdie,” Rich Beem said on Sky Sports.
“He was in a drought, he needed one there and he got that eagle.
“How do the fans feel about it? Are they excited? I’d say yes!”
McIlroy began his third round in dominant fashion as he recorded an impressive three birdies from the opening four holes.
But the Northern Irishman, who has not won The Open in a decade, could not build on his early momentum as he recorded a par on every hole from the fifth to the 10th.
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A stunning putt to secure an eagle kept McIlroy in with a shout at PortrushCredit: Getty
On the back nine, McIlroy managed another birdie following his eagle which helped him finish with a score of five-under for the third round and eight-under for the tournament.
McIlroy’s scintillating display on Saturday helped him rise eight places in the leaderboard, although he ended his round six strokes behind leader Scottie Scheffler.
And the Masters champion accepts even his considerable talents may not be enough to reel in the gap to world number one Scheffler on the final day at Portrush.
“It was incredible, it was so much fun. I got off to the perfect start, three-under through four,” he said.
“To play those last seven holes at three-under I thought was a good effort. I played well, I rode my luck at times, but I feel like I’ve at least given myself half a chance tomorrow.
“But he’s playing like Scottie. I don’t think it’s a surprise. Everyone’s seen the way he’s played or plays over the last two or three years.
“He’s just so solid. He doesn’t make mistakes. He’s turned himself into a really consistent putter as well so there doesn’t seem to be any weakness there.
“Whenever you’re trying to chase down a guy like that, it’s hard to do. But he’s incredibly impressive.”
To take his mind off Scheffler, McIlroy will return to the three-hour epic Oppenheimer on Saturday night.
“I started Oppenheimer last night and I’ll try to get through another hour of it tonight and maybe finish it tomorrow morning,” he added.
“Apart from that, just keep my mind off of things. I always do better with distraction so if I can just distract myself and get my mind on something else that’s always a good plan for me.”