Rory McIlroy Assessed Two-Stroke Penalty at AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am

Rory McIlroy was assessed a two-stroke penalty for taking a bad drop during the opening round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, according to PGA Tour rules officials. 

The Northern Irishman had to sign for an 8 instead of a 6 on Spyglass Hill’s par-5 7th hole. 

On No. 7 McIlroy took relief under the “unplayable ball” rule after hitting his tee shot into a low-hanging tree. For one penalty stroke, a player may drop as far backward as they’d like. But they must drop the ball “on the line from the hole through the spot where the ball lies.” This type of relief is called “back-on-the-line” relief.

McIlroy measured his distance of choice, but then dropped his ball one club-length away from the correct line. A 2019 rule change allowed for that, but as of 2023, the guidelines have been altered. 

According to the 2023 USGA rule changes, a player must drop his ball directly on the line, but it may roll a club length away. 

“When the rules changed in 2023, back-of-the-line relief—you still go back of the line, in line with the flagstick from where the ball is. However, you have to drop it on that line and it can roll in any direction, even forward, one club-length. Rory, from that line, dropped one club length to the side, which makes it a wrong place and a two-stroke penalty,” said rules official Mark Dusbabek on Golf Channel.

“Rory was met in scoring by our chief referee Steven Cox and he totally owned the mistake, very professional about it, and admitted to the rules mistake,” he continued. 

McIlroy commented on the penalty after the round, which he finished at 1-under par. At one point, McIlroy was leading the field at 6 under. He now sits in a tie for 39th. 

“So I took an unplayable on 7 and I took it back on line. Then unbeknownst to me the rule changed in January 2023 where you used to be able to come back online, take a club length either side. That was changed in 2019 to be able to do that. I wasn't aware that 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 got a two-stroke penalty there,” McIlroy explained. 

McIlroy carded six birdies, two bogeys and a triple-bogey 8 to shoot an opening round 71.