Watch Rory McIlroy Hit His Dad's Leg with a Golf Ball in Errant Shot During the 2021 Masters
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David Cannon/Getty
Rory McIlroy accidentally hit his father with a golf ball on Thursday during the first round of the 2021 Masters Tournament at Augusta National Golf Course in Georgia.
The golf pro, who parred his first four holes and bogeyed the next two holes, hit a spectator on the left leg with an errant shot on the seventh hole. The man turned out to be his own father, Gerry McIlroy.
"That was your dad you hit?" his caddie asked as the athlete replied: "Yeah!"
"I should get an autograph," Gerry joked after getting hit, according to GolfChannel.com senior writer Ryan Lavner.
McIlroy ended up making his third consecutive bogey on the seventh hole.
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Rory McIlroy hit his dad with an errant approach shot on No. 7 during the first round of #theMasters pic.twitter.com/uEle8iqeyR
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) April 8, 2021
A moment Rory McIlroy will always remember: hitting his dad on the leg with a golf ball at the Masters. 😂 pic.twitter.com/ttUxmMiVvy
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) April 8, 2021
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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."
— Kyle Porter (@KylePorterCBS) April 8, 2021
Gerry has been a longtime supporter of his son and a frequent spectator at tournaments.
According to Global Golf Post, the McIlroy patriarch worked two jobs to help his only son pursue a career in the sport. For eight years, his job during the day consisted of "cleaning toilets and lockers at a rugby club" before he was a bartender during the evenings at Holywood Golf Club in Northern Ireland.
And not only has his dedication paid off as Rory continues to win, but Gerry and his three friends previously collected $342,000 from a 10-year bet they made when Rory won the 2014 British Open at age 25, CBS Sports reported.
In 2004, Gerry and his friends bet £400 (approximately $683 at the time) with 500-1 odds on 15-year-old Rory winning the British Open before the age of 26.
