Rory McIlroy apologized Wednesday for his club-bending incident during the final round of the U.S. Open.
After hitting his approach shot into the water en route to a quadruple-bogey 8 on the 11th hole, McIlroy leaned on his 9-iron and bent the shaft. He eventually tied for 41st at Merion.
“I just got frustrated and it definitely was not the right thing to do,” McIlroy told reporters on the eve of The Irish Open. “I wouldn’t recommend anyone or anyone watching on TV or any kids to start throwing their clubs or bending their 9-irons. But the 9-iron is intact and has a new shaft this week and it’s ready to go.”
In March, McIlroy walked off the course during the second round of the Honda Classic. Initially he blamed a toothache for his sudden departure, but later conceded that he withdrew simply out of frustration. “I realized pretty quickly it wasn’t the right thing to do,” he said at Doral. “It was a mistake. It won’t happen again.”
