Rory McIlroy given two-shot penalty after taking illegal drop at Pebble Beach

Rory McIlroy's misunderstanding of the rules cost the Northern Irishman heavily in the first round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. 

Only 80 professionals are in the new-look PGA Tour event this week, which has been given signature status. 

That means the winner will receive a whopping $3.6m first place winners cheque. 

McIlroy, 34, is attempting to win his second event of the calendar following on from his history-making victory at the Dubai Desert Classic last month.

The Northern Irishman is making only his fourth appearance at Pebble Beach since turning professional 17 years ago. 

Playing alongside Ludvig Aberg at Spyglass Hill, he started well and turned in 2-under par. 

He had started on the back nine and temporarily vaulted to the top of the leaderboard thanks to birdies at one, three, four and five. 

But his round began to unravel after making bogey at the sixth following a loose approach. 

McIlroy then recorded what he thought was bogey six at the par-5 seventh. He had struck his tee shot way left and took an unplayable. 

But he later explained to reporters that he was adjudged a two-shot penalty for misunderstanding the rules which changed in 2023.

It turns out he dropped on the wrong line and his score was changed to a 1-under 72. 

Watch:

Rory McIlroy has been assessed a two-stroke penalty after this drop on the par-5 seventh hole. pic.twitter.com/7PtnytRc5t

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 1, 2024

"Unbeknownst to me"

McIlroy took the penalty in good humour and explained it from his point of view to a group of reporters. 

He said: "So I took an unplayable on seven and I took it back online.

"Then unbeknownst to me the rule changed in January 2023 where you used to be able to come back online, take a club length either side.

"That was changed in 2019 to be able to do that.

"I wasn't aware that that rule was changed again in 2023, so I took a drop thinking of the 2019 rules when everything was sort of changed not knowing that the rule was changed again in 2023, so got a two-stroke penalty there."

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