In the third round of the Australian Open golf tournament at Royal Melbourne, Rory McIlroy encountered an unexpected obstacle. His ball ended up on a banana peel, sparking discussions among spectators and experts. According to the USGA rules, a banana peel is considered a 'loose impediment' as it is a natural object. Moving the peel could have caused the ball to move, resulting in a penalty stroke. McIlroy decided not to call an official, believing it would not allow him to improve his position. The incident led to a double bogey for Rory, but it did not stop him. Recovering his positions, he made a birdie on the third hole and five more on the last ten, finishing the round with a score of 68 strokes (-3). This left him in 24th place, nine strokes behind the leader, Denmark's Rasmus Neergard-Petersen. Despite the unlikely chance of winning the tournament, McIlroy can add this event to his collection of unusual playing moments of the season.
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