Rory McIlroy's opening round at the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth was nothing short of extraordinary.
The Northern Irishman carded a five-under-par 67 despite a series of unusual incidents that would have derailed many players.
McIlroy's day included breaking a club mid-shot, putting backwards, and finishing with an out-of-bounds approach on the 18th hole.
Yet, he managed to stay in contention, just two shots behind leader Matthew Baldwin.
The world No. 3 described his round as a "rollercoaster", with most incidents working in his favour.
His resilience was on full display as he navigated the challenges of the West Course, entertaining spectators with his creative shot-making and unwavering focus.
Rory McIlroy's lost his head - of his golf club - after an early drive
Sky Sports
The most bizarre incident occurred on the par-five 12th hole.
As McIlroy struck his second shot from 179 yards, the head of his nine-iron detached from the shaft and flew down the fairway.
Remarkably, the ball still found its target, finishing just seven feet from the pin.
"It was a bit of a weird feeling," McIlroy told Sky Sports. "Obviously you're expecting the weight of the club to just pull through and there was nothing there."
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Earlier, on the eighth hole, McIlroy had to putt backwards due to an awkward stance near a water hazard.
Despite these challenges, he managed to card seven birdies, including a streak of four consecutive birdies from the third to sixth holes.
McIlroy's round included five birdies on the front nine, resulting in an impressive 31.
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He added two more birdies on the back nine, reaching six-under-par at one point. However, a bogey on the 18th dropped him to five-under.
"I would have taken five under at the start of the day," McIlroy reflected. "Overall it was a good round of golf, it could have been a little bit better but a solid start."
Despite the club mishap on the 12th, McIlroy managed to birdie the hole. He also overcame a missed short putt on the 7th and a tee shot that bounced out of the trees on the 17th.
The Northern Irishman's performance was particularly impressive given that he was feeling the effects of a chest infection.
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Rory McIlroy was left mystified after the head of his club flew off
Sky Sports
Matthew Baldwin, ranked 363rd in the world, took the lead with an impressive seven-under-par 65.
The Englishman's bogey-free round put him one stroke ahead of Denmark's Niklas Norgaard and Belgium's Thomas Detry, both at six-under.
Norgaard, fresh off his first DP World Tour title at the British Masters, continued his fine form with four birdies in his last eight holes.
McIlroy finds himself in a group tied for fourth at five-under, alongside fellow Ryder Cup teammates Shane Lowry and Robert MacIntyre.
Rory McIlroy also even managed to putt backwards somehow
PA
Former champion Danny Willett, returning from shoulder surgery, showed promise with a four-under 68.
Defending champion Ryan Fox had a more modest start, carding a one-under 71.
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