JERSEY CITY, N.J. – It was the kind of mistake that could have ruined a round. Instead, for Rory McIlroy his brush with the Rules of Golf turned out to be a much-needed spark.
McIlroy was 2 under par for the day at The Northern Trust when his tee shot at the par-3 14th hole sailed into a bunker. As he was preparing to hit his next shot he reached to remove what he thought was a small rock, which is now allowed under the rules, when he realized it was actually a clump of sand.