McIlroy’s Repeated Chipping Blunder Costs Him Ground at Tour Championship

Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy encountered a frustrating sequence Friday during the second round of the Tour Championship at East Lake when he attempted the same unsuccessful chip shot twice in succession. Playing the third hole while 2-under par, McIlroy faced an uphill chip from approximately 15 yards away but failed to generate sufficient force on the stroke, causing the ball to bounce off the slope and roll back to his feet.

Rather than adjusting his approach, McIlroy executed an identical shot moments later with the same result—the ball returned to him after hitting the slope. He finally succeeded on his third attempt but suffered a double bogey on the hole, significantly undermining his tournament position. The costly mistake came at East Lake, site of the $10 million purse event.

ESPN+ broadcaster Andy North criticized McIlroy’s decision-making, remarking on air that the golfer had attempted to “get cute twice in a row” and suggesting he should have aimed longer rather than repeating the flawed approach. North also drew a broader contrast between McIlroy and world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, noting that McIlroy frequently creates self-inflicted difficulties through poor wedge play and forced errors despite his considerable talents.

McIlroy finished the day at 1-under, bringing his tournament total to 3-under par and placing him in a tie for 22nd among 30 competitors. He trailed the leaderboard leader Ryan Gerard, who stood at 9-under par, by six strokes at the time of play.