'Number 6' McIlroy: "The course setting is too harsh"... Taking out frustration by breaking a wedge?

Arnold Palmer Invitational Rounds 3 and 4 Consecutive 4 Over Par Tied 13th "No Reward for Well-Hit Shots"

Rory McIlroy is disappointed after missing a birdie putt on the 1st hole of the final round at the Arnold Palmer Invitational. Orlando, USA = Getty Images / MultiBits

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] Rory McIlroy (Northern Ireland), ranked 6th in the world, broke his wedge during the game and criticized the course setup, sparking controversy.

On the 7th (Korean time) at Bay Hill Golf Club in Orlando, Florida, USA (par 72, 7,466 yards), the Arnold Palmer Invitational, a premium event on the PGA Tour with a total prize of $12 million, concluded. McIlroy started the first round as the leader at 7 under par but recorded even par in the second round, 4 over par amid strong winds in the third round, and after a 'rollercoaster play' with 2 birdies, 4 bogeys, and 1 double bogey in the fourth round, he fell back to a tie for 13th place (1 over par, 289 strokes).

On the final day, he especially struggled on the 7th hole (par 3), where after reaching the green in two shots, he added three putts from just 1.3 meters away, suffering on the 'glass-like greens.' Right after holing out on the 8th hole (par 4), he threw down his putter, and on the 12th hole (par 5), after failing to escape the deep rough and enduring a thorny path to the green, he broke his wedge. McIlroy, who said "my patience reached its limit," claimed, "My performance over the weekend, with 8 over par, was definitely not reflective of my ability," and criticized the course's difficulty, stating, "There is a problem with the course's discriminating power."

In fact, only four players scored under par that day, indicating harsh course conditions. Scottie Scheffler (USA) won with a score of 5 under par 283, and a single-digit under-par victory was the first since Jon Rahm (Spain) won the US Open in June last year with 6 under par. It is interesting that McIlroy was the champion of this tournament in 2018. He added his dissatisfaction, saying, "It has been the same for the past three years," and "It's okay to be punished for mistakes, but there must be a clear reward for well-executed shots."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.