Rory McIlroy Accidentally Breaks Driver As FedEx Cup Woes Continue

The World No.3’s driver shaft snapped after he leaned on it while picking up his tee at Castle Pines Golf Club

Rory McIlroy's driver snaps at the BMW Championship
Rory McIlroy's driver accidentally snapped at the event
(Image credit: X @GutsyPicksCash)
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So far, Rory McIlroy is having a rollercoaster of a FedEx Cup Playoffs campaign. 

The three-time champion finished just two places off the foot of the leaderboard at the FedEx St Jude Championship and there was more frustration on Friday at the BMW Championship when a poor drive on 17th led to him throwing his club into the water.

Now, the 35-year-old has suffered another driver issue at the Castle Pines Golf Club event in the form of a snapped shaft in a freak accident during the final round. 

McIlroy hit a wayward tee shot right on the ninth hole, and as he bent over to collect his tee, he leaned on his driver, which caused it to snap.

McIlroy's difficulties at the hole didn’t finish there. His ball had come to a standstill on a grass verge inches from a creek, which left him needing to remove his shoes and socks and stand in the water to take his shot.

That’s when his luck began to turn as he hit a beautiful effort to the green to leave a birdie chance, although in the end he settled for par.

McIlroy wasn’t the only player to suffer driver issues in the final round at the event. Earlier in the day, Matt Fitzpatrick was refused the chance to replace his driver after he found a crack in the face of it at the eighth tee. 

The Englishman called over a rules official to examine the crack, but the damage wasn’t deemed serious enough to warrant replacement.

Fitzpatrick eventually finished one-under for the tournament, heading back to the clubhouse in T28 - not enough to force his way into the top 30 of the FedEx Cup standings and make it to next week’s Tour Championship.

As for McIlroy, despite his frustrations in the FedEx Cup Playoffs so far, he is assured of his place at the lucrative East Lake tournament as he is currently sixth in the standings.

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Mike Hall
Mike Hall
News Writer

Mike has over 25 years of experience in journalism, including writing on a range of sports throughout that time, such as golf, football and cricket. Now a freelance staff writer for Golf Monthly, he is dedicated to covering the game's most newsworthy stories. 

He has written hundreds of articles on the game, from features offering insights into how members of the public can play some of the world's most revered courses, to breaking news stories affecting everything from the PGA Tour and LIV Golf to developmental Tours and the amateur game. 

Mike grew up in East Yorkshire and began his career in journalism in 1997. He then moved to London in 2003 as his career flourished, and nowadays resides in New Brunswick, Canada, where he and his wife raise their young family less than a mile from his local course. 

Kevin Cook’s acclaimed 2007 biography, Tommy’s Honour, about golf’s founding father and son, remains one of his all-time favourite sports books.