Rory McIlroy got a big chance at the PGA Championship thanks to a little-known rule, a statement has revealed.
Officials from the PGA Championship have shared a statement after Rory McIlroy got a surprising break thanks to an unusual rule.
Golf star McIlroy has been enjoying a great run so far at the 2026 BMW PGA Championship, helped by a key moment early in his first round. After making five birdies in his first ten holes, things looked tricky on the 14th hole when his ball landed right next to the out-of-bounds fence. But a strange rule changed the game for him.
The 179-yard uphill par-3 14th hole was a tough challenge. McIlroy’s tee shot veered far left and ended up near the fence. Normally, this would mean he had to take a drop shot, which could cost him a stroke. A small patch of grass between the hedges and the cart path was in the way, and because the hedges can’t be moved, he’d likely have to move his ball, making a bogey almost certain.
However, since a temporary fence had been placed in front of the hedges, the area where he could take relief was bigger. This allowed McIlroy to keep playing without taking a drop.
Tournament officials told Sky Sports: “It was relief from the path and because the gap between the fencing and path is so narrow, they have widened the relief area to include some of the grass.”
McIlroy used this chance well, making a great chip shot onto the green and finishing the hole in three shots, scoring a par. He wrapped up his first round three under par, landing him tied for 14th on the leaderboard at the time.
Coming off a record-setting score of 60 in the BMW PGA pro-am on the same course just a few days earlier, McIlroy looks set to keep improving at Wentworth, especially with the final day coming up on Sunday.
Even with his strong start, McIlroy admitted he’s not yet at his best. The Masters champion has been working hard on his swing recently but isn’t fully satisfied with his current game.
After his round, he said: “I think it’s going to take a long time to get back to where I want to be. I feel like I can play well out here, but it still looks better on the range than what I can do on the course. If I keep working on it, I hope it will start to feel and look the same on the course as on the range. These things take time. It took me five or six months to get into this bad habit, so it’ll probably take a similar amount of time to get out of it. I’m giving myself time. There’s plenty of time before the Masters next year. Meanwhile, there’s still lots of golf to play and things to win, and I hope to keep giving myself a chance at that as well.”