Gerry is said to have joked about asking for an autographed glove:
Was standing on No. 7 when Rory flared one out to the right and hit his dad in the leg. As he limped away, laughing, he looked over at us and said, "I should ask for an autographed glove."
Rory joked after his round that he would sign a bag of frozen peas for his dad.
McIlroy eventually turned in three over after a three-putt bogey on the 9th.
Rory struggled on day one at Augusta
The Northern Irishman entered the week in a bad run of form after a missed cut at The Players and an early exit at the WGC-Match Play where he went out in the group stage.
He has recently teamed up with renowned coach Pete Cowen, though, so there is some hope for a turnaround in form in the not-too-distant future.
“He’s just giving me a better understanding of what I do and what I do well, and when it maybe isn’t going so well, what are the things that I can do to sort of fix myself in way. I think that’s the thing,” McIlroy said of his work with Cowen.
“So, you know, it’s the start of a journey with Pete and it’s not as if we haven’t worked before.
“I’ve known Pete for nearly 20 years so it’s nothing new, really, but I just think a second set of eyes and someone with Pete’s knowledge and wisdom can only be a good thing.”