Rory McIlroy slams officials after slow play drama at Irish Open
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The Masters champ was left fuming at DP World Tour officials after being put on the clock at The K Club.
Rory McIlroy has told rules officials to use “a bit of common sense” after his group was handed a warning for slow play during the opening round of the Amgen Irish Open.
The World No.2 was playing alongside Thriston Lawrence and Kristoffer Reitan when the threeball was put on the clock at The K Club.
McIlroy was particularly frustrated having just walked off and signed for a 1-under 71 which included two bogeys in his last three holes.
It left the Masters champion feeling “agitated”.
“In all honesty, I felt a little rushed out there for the last 12 holes,” he told reporters.
“We got put on the clock pretty early, and then the first official went away and then we were put on the clock for the last three holes to try to make time up.”
With huge galleries and a number of camera crews following the home favorite and headline player, McIlroy said it was “understandable” that his group would be slowed down at certain points.
“It’s hard because you feel a bit rushed, you’re playing some tough holes and our group has to deal with a lot more than any other group on the course,” added the Masters champion.
“So it’s understandable that we lose time and I feel like any time I either come back to Europe or I play in some of these like one, two, three in the world type groups, we’re always put on the clock for that reason.
“I got a little frustrated the last few holes because I feel like it always happens and I don’t think they use sort of common sense in terms of…well of course we’re going to lose ground because we’re going to have to wait on crowds and wait on the two camera crews that are out there.
“There’s just a lot more going on with our group than any of the other groups on the course, and sometimes I feel like they have to give us a little bit of leeway and use a bit of common sense.”
Starting on the back nine, matters were not helped by Lawrence and Reitan – who carded rounds of 81 and 77 respectively – found the water at the 7th.
McIlroy explained: “In my mind I’m like, ‘Should I go first to save a bit of time?’ But not really, you can still wait your turn.
“It wasn’t really that. I just felt because it’s happened to me quite a lot before in these sorts of big groups who want to come back to Europe and play, I felt like I just let it agitate me a little bit.”
McIlroy was in better spirits later, though, when he paraded his newly-acquired Green Jacket as well as The Open, US Open and PGA Championship trophies in front of a packed crowd at the County Kildare resort.
McIlroy will next head to the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth before the Ryder Cup at Bethpage.
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Rory McIlroy says he was left "agitated" at the Irish Open.
