WATCH: Rory McIlroy record-breaking drive in Arnold Palmer Invitational rise

Rory McIlroy created PGA Tour history across the third round of his Arnold Palmer Invitational bid.
By Patrick Van Dort
Published 9th Mar 2024, 22:26 BST
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy hits a tee shot during the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy hits a tee shot during the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy hits a tee shot during the third round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard in Orlando, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

A 365-yard tee shot across Saturday’s appearance around Bay Hill left the Northern Ireland ace as the first on record to ever drive the green on the par-four 10th hole. It proved one memorable moment in a four-under round overall that fired McIlroy up the leaderboard.

A six-under 30 tally left McIlroy tied for the course’s nine-hole scoring record thanks to six birdies including three on the bounce over the closing run. As a result, McIlroy is the most recent player to post a 30 on both the front and back legs, thanks to weekend success on the latter stretch following on from his 2016 round-four achievement over the former.

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His 365-yard shot on the 10th was clocked at 186mph ball speed over a 339-yard carry on the way to a birdie. It left McIlroy the first player to reach that green from the tee in recorded history, with the ShotLink shot-tracking system first introduced by the PGA Tour in 2003.This arrived after having posted a bogey apiece on the seventh and eighth holes to mar an-otherwise blemish-free front nine.

The 68 shot on Saturday followed on from initial rounds of 70 and 73 for five-under overall and position inside the top 10 as the leaders entered the closing stages with nine under the best.

McIlroy’s average Driving Distance stat last year of 326.3 yards was the longest logged by the PGA Tour.

“I'm definitely a good few yards longer over the last couple of years than I have been in the past,” said McIlroy on the PGA Tour website. “I thought if I got it in one of the two front traps that would be a good leave to hit something up the green, but, yeah, I wasn't trying to hit it on the green, but it was nice to walk up and see it on there.”

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McIlroy entered Bay Hill on three consecutive PGA Tour tournament placings outside the top 20 following a runner-up spot and win in Dubai to start 2024.

In his weekend post-round review, McIlroy offered comparisons to that winning display at the Dubai Desert Classic and a third-round 63.

“I won that golf tournament in 27 holes,” said McIlroy. “I shot nine-under on Saturday and three-under on the front nine on Sunday, and sort of cruised, I didn't really do much else.

"When the golf course is playing as tough as this, that's all, you sort of only need like two really good nine-hole stretches, and then you can sort of play conservative and make a lot of pars the rest of the way.”

Related topics:Rory McIlroyNorthern Ireland