Rory McIlroy has played some mixed golf over the opening two rounds at The Open, although he still just about finds himself in contention heading into the weekend at Royal Liverpool.
Brian Harman leads the tournament on -10, with the Irishman a full nine shots behind him at this point. However, the American is well in front of the rest of the field and there is no guarantee that he will maintain that pace over the next couple of days.
McIlroy would have hoped to make a move during yesterday's play, although he could never quite get going in difficult conditions. He would battle to a -1 round of 70 to go into the weekend under par.
It would have been hoped that he would have done more to build upon the momentum gathered on the final hole on Thursday, where the 34-year old produced a stunning bunker shot to end the day on a high.
Could this be a pivotal moment?
The challenge and drama of links golf. Encapsulated by @McIlroyRory. pic.twitter.com/KqZHhIm9ZP— The Open (@TheOpen) July 20, 2023
However, some believe that this shot actually broke an obscure golf rule.
Rory McIlroy accused of breaking obscure golf rule at The Open
While most golf fans were quick to praise that shot, one social media used pointed out that Rory McIlroy might have inadvertently broke a golf rule while playing it.
The law in question is 'rule 10.2b(4)', which:
Prevents a caddie from deliberately standing in the restricted area to provide the player help with aiming.
This ensures that aiming at the intended target is a challenge the player must overcome alone.
In the footage below, it could be said the caddie is standing in an illegal position when McIlroy enters his stance.
rory violates rule 10.2b(4) here.
‘once player begins taking stance and until stroke is made, player’s caddie must not deliberately stand on or close to extension of line of play behind ball for any reason.’
@TheOpen pic.twitter.com/NBLjIyfZDj— 1875 (@603_brown) July 20, 2023
The law is in place so that caddies cannot directly help players aim the golf ball once they are standing over a shot. Rory McIlroy was not punished for this incident, with some believing he did not actually break the rule in question.
The law also states that if a player backs away from the shot and the caddie moves away from the 'restricted zone', no infringement has taken place. You could argue that this is what occurred in this instance, with McIlroy slightly coming out his stance at one point before the shot is played.
In any case, the golf authorities did not take the matter any further.
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