1. Round 3 Overview: Scores and Situation
In this round, McIlroy shot a 3-under-par 68, improving his total score to 5-under-par and dropping to around 20th place, but still maintaining a 9-stroke lead over the leader. Leader Nigel Petersen of Denmark carded a 66, leading 14-under-par, followed by Cameron Smith and Siew King, among others, both also shooting 66.
For McIlroy, this round still garnered the largest crowd support, but it wasn’t enough to truly challenge the leader. According to him, the early double bogey, combined with fluctuations in previous rounds, “put him in the wrong position from the start,” making it difficult to catch the in-form leader even with a subsequent comeback.
2. The “Banana Peel Incident”: A Bizarre Double Bogey
The real talking point of the third round was the “banana peel moment” on the second hole. McIlroy’s tee shot veered off the fairway, landing in thick rough, with a banana peel discarded by a spectator piled on top of it—grass, mud, and fruit peel stacked together, almost half-burying the ball.
According to the rules, he could remove the loose obstruction as long as the ball didn’t move; however, he worried that removing the banana peel would cause the ball’s lie to shift, resulting in a penalty stroke. Ultimately, he chose not to touch the banana peel and instead forced his shot from the awkward lie. The ball only grazed forward a few meters, ending the hole with a double bogey, instantly turning what could have been a stable start into trouble.
After the round, he described the incident as a “double whammy”—being in the rough and having the ball pinned down by the banana peel, “I shouldn’t have hit the ball there in the first place.” This self-deprecating remark carried a hint of helplessness, suggesting that he understood the real problem wasn’t the banana peel, but the preceding action: that off-fair tee shot.
3. From Slip to Rebound: The Rest of the Holes
Interestingly, after his slip, he immediately made a small self-correction. On the third hole, he used standard irons to approach the green and a steady putt to make birdie, quickly recovering from the double bogey. He then continued his front nine with a series of even par holes, a birdie, and an extra bogey, leaving him one over par.
His true performance as the world’s number two golfer came on the back nine. Starting from the tenth hole, he caught the rhythm of the green speed and wind changes, making four consecutive birdies to bring his round score back to 3 under par. In the light winds and undulating terrain of Royal Melbourne, this back nine demonstrated that his hitting wasn’t completely disrupted by a banana peel, but rather that his starting position was too far back.
4. The Week’s Overall Trajectory: From Near Elimination to “Unable to Compete for the Title”
Looking back on the week, McIlroy’s performance at the Australian Open followed a clearly fluctuating curve. – In the first round, he played erratically in strong winds, hesitating in putting and approach shots, leaving him behind the leaderboard from the start.
- In the second round, he narrowly crossed the cut line with three birdies in the final four holes, entering the weekend with a total score of 2-under par.
- In the third round, a bizarre double bogey followed by a full day of comebacks helped him regain his lead, but it also placed him in the “attractive but not very dangerous” chasing group.
After the third round, he admitted that he was “likely too far behind, and even if I play perfectly tomorrow, I might not be able to catch up.” This wasn’t a pessimistic declaration, but a sober assessment of the situation—with the leader already close to 15-under par and a group of in-form local and Asian players behind him, his only hope was a last-minute comeback, not a strong finish.
5. The Significance of Royal Melbourne and His “Second Australian Open Journey”
This marks Rory McIlroy’s first return to the Australian Open since 2014, and his return to the tournament since defeating Adam Scott to win in Sydney in 2013. Royal Melbourne’s sandy course, with its expansive views and extremely demanding approach greens, allowed him to excel on the tee and with long irons, but also presented challenges in putting and short game.
Despite not being a true contender for the title, he still attracted the largest crowds each day, with Australian media describing him as “the most popular but not at the top of the leaderboard.” For this player, fresh from his Masters victory and still carrying the label of “unfinished major,” this week at Royal Melbourne felt more like a re-evaluation: could he maintain sufficient focus and resilience to make each round valuable amidst unfamiliar sandy terrain, out-of-season weather, and unexpected setbacks?
6. The Metaphor Beyond the “Banana Peel”: Small Accidents and a Big Picture
From news headlines to short videos on social media, what people remember most is probably the banana peel on the ball—the most dramatic moment on screen. But for McIlroy himself, what truly mattered this week were the details less suitable for editing: adjusting his stance, correcting his aim, and persisting with his offensive line on the back nine, even knowing that catching up in the overall standings was nearly impossible.
In a way, the scorecard for Day 3 of this round is also a condensed portrait of a “middle-aged top golfer”: skilled, experienced, still capable of quickly turning the tide after setbacks, but no longer able to single-handedly reverse the entire rankings with one or two rounds of brilliance. The banana peel was just a small accident; the bigger picture he faces is how to keep his name in the final group on Sundays in an increasingly younger and more competitive world of tours.
