Rory McIlroy almost missed the cut at the Travelers Championship on Friday after his foot slipped while playing his approach shot to the final hole, leading to an unexpected bogey in Cromwell, Connecticut.
However, while the Northern Irishman eventually advanced to the weekend without a stroke to spare, another former world No. 1, Jason Day, headed home early after signing for the wrong score.
On the fairway at the par-four 18th, McIlroy had barely 100 yards to the hole, a wedge in his hand and birdie in his mind at TPC River Highlands.
However, his back foot slipped substantially during his downswing, causing him to hit the ball fat, advancing it barely halfway to the hole and leaving it in rough.
The dropped shot left McIlroy sweating whether he would make the cut with his even-par 140 halfway total, but he advanced to the weekend by the skin of his teeth, eight strokes behind halfway leader Jordan Spieth.
“My right foot completely just came out from under me,” he told reporters after signing for a 73.
“There was a tiny bit of drizzle, maybe a little bit of surface water. It was weird. As soon as I started down [on the downswing] I just felt it and I couldn’t stop.”
Day shot a 69, but signed for a 70 after marking a par on his card at the third hole, where he actually made birdie.
According to the rules, a player is not disqualified for signing for a higher score than he shoots, but Day made 142 and missed the cut.
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