'Fan' steals Rory's ball at Open Championship

rob_golf1

Q-School Graduate
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
941
Location
Birmingham
Visit site
For those that haven't read the article...

http://www.golfdigest.com/story/doe...ing-up-rory-mcilroys-ball-at-the-british-open

Wouldn't exactly describe this idiot as a fan!

Regardless of who it is, some player you have never heard of to world number one Dustin Johnson (or in this case Rors) you just do not pick a ball up when play is taking place! Its common bloody sense surely?

I understand there is no confirmation it was Rory's ball but looking at the way he and others (Jordan Speith springs to mind) were missing fairways last weekend there is a chance it was Rory's!
 
Last edited:

JohnnyDee

Tour Winner
Joined
Feb 15, 2015
Messages
2,831
Location
Berkshire
Visit site
Interesting.

I had raised this possibility with some friends at our club. McIlroy's ball should have been found easily compared to Spieth's on the 13th, yet it wasn't. I strongly suspected some numpty had pocketed Rory's and said so at the time. It was much less wide of the fairway and there were loads of people around the area it landed in.

Not a definitive video, of course, but for me it's near enough. Just can't understand why no one there mentioned it or asked this berk to explain what he did and show people the ball he picked up.

Would Rory have gone on to win without this (possibly) having happened? Unlikely, but what a very unsavoury incident.
 

rob_golf1

Q-School Graduate
Joined
Jul 31, 2011
Messages
941
Location
Birmingham
Visit site
Interesting.

I had raised this possibility with some friends at our club. McIlroy's ball should have been found easily compared to Spieth's on the 13th, yet it wasn't. I strongly suspected some numpty had pocketed Rory's and said so at the time. It was much less wide of the fairway and there were loads of people around the area it landed in.

Not a definitive video, of course, but for me it's near enough. Just can't understand why no one there mentioned it or asked this berk to explain what he did and show people the ball he picked up.

Would Rory have gone on to win without this (possibly) having happened? Unlikely, but what a very unsavoury incident.

I agree as to why the recorder of the video or any of his mates, who are quick enough to comment on the video, didn't pull the guy up or tell a Marshall at least!
 

Dasit

Tour Rookie
Joined
Jun 28, 2016
Messages
1,328
Visit site
Interesting.

I had raised this possibility with some friends at our club. McIlroy's ball should have been found easily compared to Spieth's on the 13th, yet it wasn't. I strongly suspected some numpty had pocketed Rory's and said so at the time. It was much less wide of the fairway and there were loads of people around the area it landed in.

Not a definitive video, of course, but for me it's near enough. Just can't understand why no one there mentioned it or asked this berk to explain what he did and show people the ball he picked up.

Would Rory have gone on to win without this (possibly) having happened? Unlikely, but what a very unsavoury incident.


I have wondered about this happening before.

Sure the man who picked this up will be found with the power of the internet. Be interesting to find out what happens.
 
G

guest100718

Guest
shocking. there is no doubt he would've gone to make eagle and probably post a clubhouse lead of at least 12 under .
 

HawkeyeMS

Ryder Cup Winner
Joined
Mar 26, 2010
Messages
11,503
Location
Surrey
Visit site
Anyone else find that video a bit odd? The ball just seems to "appear" before being picked up by the fella who appears to be rooting around in the grass. The brolly makes it difficult to see what he was doing but the ball was definitely moved to where he picked it up from.

P.S. Why would you be recording that unless you knew he was going to find something?
 
Last edited:

williamalex1

Money List Winner
Joined
Apr 7, 2012
Messages
13,455
Location
uddingston
Visit site
Anyone else find that video a bit odd? The ball just seems to "appear" before being picked up by the fella who appears to be rooting around in the grass. The brolly makes it difficult to see what he was doing but the ball was definitely moved to where he picked it up from.

P.S. Why would you be recording that unless you knew he was going to find something?

Agreed , i thought it looked odd.
 

HomerJSimpson

Hall of Famer
Joined
Aug 6, 2007
Messages
70,501
Location
Bracknell - Berkshire
Visit site
Anyone else find that video a bit odd? The ball just seems to "appear" before being picked up by the fella who appears to be rooting around in the grass. The brolly makes it difficult to see what he was doing but the ball was definitely moved to where he picked it up from.

P.S. Why would you be recording that unless you knew he was going to find something?

Good point. Seems a strange thing to video on the off chance but equally as strange as to why McIlroy's ball went missing. I don't suppose we'll ever know the truth
 

Beezerk

Money List Winner
Joined
Apr 28, 2013
Messages
12,899
Location
Gateshead, Tyne & Wear
Visit site
Anyone else find that video a bit odd? The ball just seems to "appear" before being picked up by the fella who appears to be rooting around in the grass. The brolly makes it difficult to see what he was doing but the ball was definitely moved to where he picked it up from.

P.S. Why would you be recording that unless you knew he was going to find something?

It looks really odd, almost like he kicked it with his right foot or someone rolls it there (umbrella blocks the proper view). The ball certainly appears to kind of stop like its been rolled over from the right.
Clever video if it's fake.
 

Region3

Ryder Cup Winner
Joined
Aug 4, 2009
Messages
11,860
Location
Leicester
Visit site
Anyone else find that video a bit odd? The ball just seems to "appear" before being picked up by the fella who appears to be rooting around in the grass. The brolly makes it difficult to see what he was doing but the ball was definitely moved to where he picked it up from.

P.S. Why would you be recording that unless you knew he was going to find something?

Agreed.

My first thought was the ball just "appeared" before he picked it up. Either doctored or staged.

If that was really McIlroy's ball in plain sight it would have had 100 people gathered round it before he'd made it off the tee.
 
Top