Rory McIlroy just pulled off a shot that likely no one has ever seen before.
At the 2025 Open Championship, the Northern Irishman was attempting to hit an approach shot on No. 11 at Royal Portrush. As he drove his club through his ball, a second ball popped up in the air.
The No. 2 golfer in the world was confused at first, thinking he may have hit the wrong ball, and his approach shot ended up being shorter than he anticipated.
Here’s a look at McIlroy’s unbelievable moment from Saturday at the Open Championship.
MORE BRITISH OPEN NEWS:
Rory McIlroy trick shot
McIlroy hit two balls with one swing on an approach shot at No. 11. On further examination, the second ball appeared to be buried in the rough, and McIlroy’s club made contact with it after hitting his own ball.
What??
Another ball appeared after Rory McIlroy played his shot from the Royal Portrush rough. pic.twitter.com/8Ir1vvH5dO
— Golf Digest (@GolfDigest) July 19, 2025
McIlroy made a bogey on No. 11, but he recovered nicely on No. 12 to make eagle and continue his charge up the leaderboard.
MORE: Rory McIlroy majors timeline and history of finishes
Broadcast reaction
NBC broadcasters, including play-by-play man Dan Hicks, were completely befuddled by McIlroy’s trick shot. Take a listen to their reaction when the second ball appeared.
Wait … what?! What are the odds? 🤯
Watch @TheOpen live on NBC. pic.twitter.com/d2NQCGeF48
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 19, 2025
MORE RORY MCILROY NEWS:
Social media reactions
Here are some of the best social media reactions to McIlroy’s feat on No. 11.
Somebody watching at home just found their lost ball, thanks to Rory McIlroy pic.twitter.com/plPEyyumAE
— Trey Wallace (@TreyWallace_) July 19, 2025
Rory McIlroy just fully excavated a ball from inside of the Earth on that shot pic.twitter.com/wTFGkUgn6d
— Sam Wagman (@swagman95) July 19, 2025
The odds of this are astronomical. Rory McIlroy lands his ball directly on top of another buried ball, then hits it without knowing the old ball is underneath. Insane.pic.twitter.com/oq2yagCQW9
— Justin Hokanson (@_JHokanson) July 19, 2025
MORE: Rory McIlroy net worth, career earnings, endorsements & more
Rory McIlroy Round 3 scorecard
McIlroy started off his Saturday by making back-to-back birdies, and his eagle on No. 12 moved him to four-under for the day. Here’s a look at his Round 3 scorecard.
| Hole | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | OUT | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | IN | TOTAL |
| Par | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 36 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | ||
| R3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 33 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 |
