Rules reverse leaves McIlroy eight shots back in Pebble Beach Pro-Am - "I wasn't aware that rule was changed again in 2023”

Rory McIlroy suffered an early blow to his hopes of regaining the world number one spot when he dropped five shots in his last four holes after being slapped with a two-shot penalty for rules infraction in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

The Holywood star (34) can return to the top spot if he wins the $20 million Signature Event or finishes in a three-way tie for third and current number one Scottie Scheffler finishes tied 60th.

But after sensationally racing into a two-shot lead on six-under after just 14 holes at Spyglass Hill, he three putted his 15th hole (the sixth), triple-bogeyed the par-five seventh after being assessed a two-shot penalty taking an incorrect drop and putted off the green at the eight (his 17th hole). 

His one-under 71 left him tied 39th and eight shots behind Belgium’s Thomas Detry, who made ten birdies in a career-low, nine-under 63 at Spyglass Hill to lead by a shot from Patrick Cantlay and by two strokes from Farmers Insurance Open winner Matthieu Pavon.

McIlroy was smiling as he described his rules error after the round but it was a smile full of regret.

Having three-putted the sixth (his 15th), he hooked his tee shot under a tree at the 549-yard seventh and opted to take a penalty drop that he executed incorrectly under Rule Rule 19.2b / Back-on-the-Line Relief.

He dropped back in line but then took one club length relief when he should have dropped on the line and played from there providing his ball finished within a club length of that dropping point and rolled in any direction.

He was met in scoring my chief referee Stephen Cox and accepted the two stroke penalty without complaint.

“Yeah, I took an unplayable on seven,” McIlroy explained. “And I took it back online. And then, unbeknownst to me, the rule changed in January 2023.

“You used to be able to come back online and take a club length either side. That was changed in 2019, to be able to do that.   

“I wasn't aware that rule was changed again in 2023. So I took a drop, thinking of the 2019 rules when everything was sort of changed, not knowing that the rule was changed again in 2023. So I got a two-stroke penalty there.”

The world number two would also three-putt the eighth, knocking his speedy birdie putt past the hole and off the green.

But despite his late mistakes, he was still pleased with his game after showing some true brilliance over the first 14 holes.

“Yeah, played really well for the first 14 holes and then obviously had a bit of a bad finish there,” said McIlroy.

“But for the most of it, I hit the ball pretty well. There's a lot of good stuff in there. Had that run of holes on 6, 7 and 8, but I mean apart from that, I actually played very well.

“I feel like my game's in really good shape. I'm hitting it well, feel comfortable around the greens, on the greens. Yeah, game feels in good shape.”

It was an unfortunate end for the world number two, who played superbly for most of the day and might have gone even lower had he not covered the four par-fives in two-over.

“It was just one of those -- I just let it -- I had a really (good) score and then just sort of let it get away from me those last few holes,” added McIlroy.

He made two from four feet at the 130-yard 15th before taking advantage of his power at the 325-yard 17th with a pitch to three feet.

He two-putted from the fringe for a birdie four at the first to get to three-under, rolled in a 15-footer for a two at the 172-yard third and a four-footer for another birdie at the fourth to take the solo lead on five-under.

When he rifled his uphill tee shot to around two feet at the 203-yard sixth, he was six-under and two clear of the field before those late mistakes.

As for Pavon, he is seeking to become the first player to earn his first two wins in consecutive events on the PGA Tour schedule since David Duval in 1997.

World number one Scheffler shot 69 on his tournament debut as Spyglass Hill to lie tied 14th

But West Waterford’s Seamus Power drove onto the rocks at the 18th at Pebble Beach and finished with a bogey for a 72 that left him tied 50th on level par.