McIlroy and taking part in associate Scott Stallings had been approaching the top of their third spherical when a remote-controlled ball — showing to be managed by a spectator along with the inexperienced — rolled in direction of the flag.
Having circled the opening quite a few occasions, the ball appeared set to lastly drop into the cup when it was swatted away by an outstretched McIlroy, who turned to face the pilot earlier than blocking one other run on the gap from the remote-guided ball.
There could be no third try as McIlroy picked up the ball earlier than hurling it into the water guarding the inexperienced, a lot to the delight of the onlooking crowd.
Cheers shortly turned to boos because the intruder — making a thumbs down gesture in direction of close by followers — was led away by stewards.
“He saved yelling at Rory, ‘That is my dream, that is my dream.’ I do not know precisely what he was dreaming about, however his ball is gone.”
Stallings, who had been lining up his method shot from a close-by bunker through the incident, added he had been able to step in had McIlroy not taken issues into his personal arms.
“I assumed it was nice,” the American stated. “I used to be about to go and do the identical factor.”
McIlory completed 5 photographs behind Cantlay to tie for eighth, securing yet one more high 10 end after fifth and third place finishes on the US and British Opens respectively in current months.
Taking part in the a hundred and fiftieth version of the occasion at St. Andrews, McIlroy noticed one tee drive strike an historic stone on the green earlier than one other inadvertently struck a spectator, breaking their hand.
