Rory McIlroy made an incredible par save on the final hole of the first round of The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. The par-5 18th was among the more unusual scenes in recent majors and still leaves him in contention at The Open Championship.
This is probably one of the best up-and-downs you will ever see, when McIlroy faced an impossible third shot, as his ball rested up against the wall of the pot bunker that guards the left side of the green.
Unlike the last hole of the first round at the U.S. Open last month, where he whiffed a chip only to lose by one to Wyndham Clark three days later, the Irishman saved par this time.
Now, with an even-par 71, McIlroy was five shots behind the first-round leaders, amateur Christo Lamprecht and local favorite Tommy Fleetwood (66s).
Searching for his first major championship in nine years, McIlroy did himself no harm with that unusual par save on 18.
He attempted to get it out of the trap, but failed to do so. He barely advanced his ball, but he moved it enough to give himself a slight chance at his fourth.
For his fourth shot, he had an awkward stance. His left leg was extended up and out of the bunker. It was a tricky situation for any bunker shot, let alone one where you need to get the ball out of it to avoid disaster.
Avoiding disaster on 18.@McIlroyRory with an incredible par save from a pot bunker @TheOpen 💪 pic.twitter.com/4TFhwVJkNW
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 20, 2023
"When you hit it into these bunkers, you"re sort of riding your luck at that point and hoping it"s not up against one of those rivetted faces," said McIlroy, the 2014 Open champion at Hoylake.
"I"m still in there [with a chance]," McIlroy said. "I [need] to go out there in the morning and shoot something in the 60s and get myself right back in it."
