Rory McIlroy just pulled off one of the most jaw-dropping shots you’ll ever see at Pebble Beach. The golf superstar decided to completely ignore the normal way to play the tricky 14th hole, instead blasting his drive straight over a wall of trees.
It’s the kind of shot that makes weekend golfers shake their heads in disbelief.
The 573-yard par-5 14th hole is supposed to be played with a careful drive to the left side of the fairway. That’s what most pros do, including tournament leader Sepp Straka, who made a nice birdie there.
But McIlroy isn’t most pros.
The 35-year-old Northern Irishman, known for his monster drives, took one look at those trees and thought “I can clear that.” And boy, did he ever. His ball soared over everything – trees, bunkers, trouble – and landed a good 30 yards past where most players’ drives end up.
Golf fans on social media couldn’t believe their eyes.
“He’s a machine. Awesome!!” wrote one amazed viewer on X (formerly Twitter).
Another fan joked: “Same line I play when I play Pebble… On my PS3…”
It’s been quite a week for McIlroy at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Just a day earlier, he made headlines with a spectacular hole-in-one at Spyglass Hill.
The incredible drive at 14 didn’t lead to a birdie though – McIlroy had to settle for par on his way to a up-and-down round of 70. He finished with four birdies on the front nine, followed by some bogey trouble, before closing with an eagle to end his day six shots behind leader Straka.
But that drive over the trees? That’s the shot everyone will remember.
“Hitting it over that tree is insane,” posted one fan, summing up what everyone was thinking.
McIlroy’s still looking for his first win at this iconic tournament. With shots like that, you’ve got to think it’s just a matter of time.
