The Loop
Rory McIlroy hits preposterously bold shot over lake, winds up making eagle
As the saying goes, "Fortune favors the bold." It's a motto that aligns with Rory McIlroy's aggressive style of golf and one that certainly applies to the sixth hole at Bay Hill. Combine the two, and there's potential to see something spectacular.
Such was the case during Friday's second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational. When Rory reached the famed 532-yard par 5 that curves around a lake for the entire hole, he took a preposterously bold line off the tee that surprised PGA Tour Live commentators and Shot Tracer, which had to shift while the ball was in mid-flight. But the man who led the tour in driving distance last season at 319.7 yards per pop didn't seem too concerned—and it turned out, he didn't need to be.
McIlroy's golf ball found the fairway after a 305-yard-plus carry. From there, he took advantage by hitting his approach to eight feet and converting the eagle putt. Have a look:
Imagine having the guts/game to aim there? Pretty impressive, Rory. Although, if we're being honest, we've seen better. Last year, Golf Digest did a video with 2017 Long Drive champion Justin James on the same hole, and the results were incredible:
Of course, Justin wasn't aiming for a sliver of green over water during a PGA Tour event in front of thousands of people. . . Anyway, with the eagle, McIlroy moved to three under for the day as he tries to continue his impressive streak of four consecutive top-five finishes to start 2019. Although, considering he's the defending champ at Bay Hill, we're guessing his goals this week are set a bit higher.