Eugenio Chacarra has come to the defense of Rory McIlroy after the world No 2 was handed a two-stroke penalty during the opening round of the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship. The incident occurred at the par-four 12th hole at Yas Links GC, where McIlroy was penalized for a potential breach of Rule 8.1b(4) regarding the improvement of his lie.
The Rules Dispute
The controversy arose after McIlroy’s initial chip shot rolled back into a divot. As he prepared for his fourth shot, video footage appeared to show him pressing his club into the grass behind the ball. While the rules committee initially deemed the footage inconclusive, McIlroy engaged in discussions with tournament officials after his round.
Chacarra, who was playing alongside McIlroy, expressed his support for the Northern Irishman. “I don’t think he improves his lie,” Chacarra told Sky Sports. “Obviously, the referee and him thought different. In the video, it doesn’t look great, but we’ve been watching Rory for a long time – he’s a class man and never tries to improve his lies or do anything.”
Chacarra noted that the fluffy nature of the grass made it difficult to ground the club without it moving. “How is he supposed to hit that shot? I just need to learn. I think it’s 50/50. I told him I was happy to fight for it, because I didn’t think he improved it,” he added.
McIlroy Accepts Penalty
Despite his belief that he did not intentionally press the club into the ground, McIlroy chose to accept the two-stroke penalty to avoid any perception that he had gained an unfair advantage. The penalty turned a double-bogey six into a quadruple-bogey eight on his scorecard.
“Obviously there’s no intent – I play by the rules,” McIlroy stated. “I’m trying to feel like if I can get a 54-degree wedge onto the back of the ball, but in the process, this piece of grass has sort of laid down. I don’t feel like I pressed down.”
He further explained his decision to accept the sanction, noting, “At the same time, I don’t want the perception of people thinking like I got away with something either, so I’m happy to take a two-shot penalty and move on.”
Official DP World Tour Statement
The DP World Tour clarified the ruling in a statement, explaining that Rule 8.1b(4) allows players to ground their club lightly, but prohibits pressing the club into the ground. The tour confirmed that because McIlroy could not definitively state whether he had pressed the club down, and given his concerns regarding the public perception of the footage, he opted to apply the penalty himself.
Despite the setback, McIlroy managed to record six birdies during his round, leaving him eight strokes behind the early leader, Francesco Laporta. Live coverage of the Abu Dhabi Aldar Championship continues on Sky Sports Golf.
