20 February 2024 , 21:55
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During the Genesis Invitational, Lucas Glover gave Rory McIlroy a death stare after the Northern Irishman hit his tee shot past the group in front.
McIlroy arrived at the 15th tee with a score of 2 under for the round. Assuming the course was free of any players, he hit a 323-yard shot down the middle of the fairway while ten strokes behind then-leader Patrick Cantley.
The golf ball maintained a good trajectory as it flew through the air, but upon landing, it took an unexpected bounce near Glover. Both Glover and Ludvig Aberg were still on the green.
An unwritten rule of the golf course states players should wait for the group in front of them to finish their hole before taking a shot of their own. However, McIlroy seemed to inadvertently break that etiquette, much to Glover's disgust.
Glover heard and spotted the wandering shot and glared back toward the tee before striding off to where his ball was. McIlroy was then informed that they were still on the course and appeared shocked when he realized what had occurred.
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Media on the scene reported that surrounding players were displeased with McIlroy's negligence. The only logical explanation provided to viewers was that the group ahead of them may have been playing slowly, and McIlroy's shot was an attempt to hurry them up.
The four-time major winner finished in a tie for 24th place at the event, while Hideki Matsuyama claimed victory with a final score of -17. Matsuyama took home $4 million in prize money. The Irish golfer recently garnered attention for his initiative to facilitate a merger between LIV Golf and the PGA Tour. McIlroy has since moderated his position in the organization after understanding the company's operational dynamics.
McIlroy suggested a Champions League-style model that would unite the top players from the PGA and LIV Golf tours for a unified competition. He expressed a strong commitment to advocating for the reunification of the sport at its highest level and discussed this vision after completing his third round at The Genesis Invitational.
PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA - FEBRUARY 15: Lucas Glover of the United States reacts to a shot on the first hole during the first round of The Genesis Invitational at Riviera Country Club on February 15, 2024 in Pacific Palisades, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)"I think you would just create a Tour for the top 80 players in the world," McIlroy said. "I think everything sort of feeds up into that one. The way I look at it, it would be like the Champions League in European football.
"It sort of sits above the rest of the leagues, and then all those leagues sort of feed up into that, and the best of the best play against each other in the Champions League is the way I think about it."
McIlroy believes in maintaining a strong presence for the PGA Tour in the United States while exploring opportunities to expand its footprint internationally. Initially slated for a 2024 launch, his proposed golf league, TGL, faced a setback when the host arena, still under construction, suffered damage from a power failure, prompting a delay until 2025.