By SCOTT HAMILTON
shamilton@beaufortgazette.com
843-986-5533
Rory McIlroy doesn't know what will happen tomorrow, but he's already got the next weeks planned out after he departs Harbour Town Golf Links.
It has indeed been an eventful few weeks for the 19-year-old from Northern Ireland, who shot a 1-over-par 72 in Thursday's first round of the Verizon Heritage.
Never mind the torrid pace with which he has begun his professional career. It's a start that has seen him finish inside the top 20 or better in five events this season since March 1, including a tie for 5th at the WGC Match Play Championship. And Thursday's 72 was just his third round over par during that span. All of that alone would wear a kid out.
"Mentally is the hardest thing," McIlroy said. "I was pretty flat, I couldn't really get anything going. Hopefully I'll regain my focus (today)."
The playing schedule could attribute to some of that fatigue. So could the circus that ensued from a faux pas he committed under the golf microscope that is the Masters.
Following the second round, Masters officials huddled to determine if McIlroy committed a rules infraction when he kicked at sand in a bunker on No. 18 after he failed to get his ball out on his first attempt. Rules prohibit a player from testing the condition of a hazard, and kicking the sand could have been interpreted that way. If so, McIlroy would have been disqualified for signing an incorrect score card.
Officials decided that McIlroy had not broken a rule, but waited for more than four hours before coming to that decision, which was announced after 8 p.m. The hand wringing while waiting may have been aggravating, but it didn't affect his play. He went on to play the weekend at 3 under and tie for 20th.
"It's just one of those things. I'll never put myself in that position again," McIlroy said. "It was just a sort of subconscious (act). I know I'll never do it again.
"This is a new week. I've come here to try to play well. If I do so, that's good. But, as I said, I'm looking forward to getting home for a couple of weeks."
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