On Thursday, World No. 2 Rory McIlroy was greeted with loud cheers as he stepped foot on Royal Liverpool for the opening round of the 151st Open. Spectators at the venue, which had been the turf for his 2014 Open Championship win, eagerly looked forward to the Irishman’s heroics.

But, to fans’ chagrin, McIlroy had a rather up-and-down day out on the greens. The golfer’s most memorable moment of the day didn’t come until the 18th hole when he made an incredible bunker shot to remain in contention for the Claret Jug. Despite the sheer madness of the moment, the golfing shot has still managed to divide golf fans on the internet!

Rory McIlroy’s incredible bunker shot comes under scrutiny

Rory McIlroy started things off at Hoylake on Thursday with a birdie on the 2nd. But, fans’ hopes were somewhat dashed as he made bogeys on No. 4, 8, and 12. He then steadied the ship with a 41-foot birdie putt on the 14th, followed by another on the par-five 15th. However, the highlight of McIlroy’s round did not come until the 18th fairway.

The 4-time major winner was faced with a nearly impossible shot out of one of the most demanding bunkers on the course, but he made an incredible save to get out of it. While he would go on to finish the hole with a bogey, the golfer definitely didn’t mind it, given the tragic lie that he faced.

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Yet, not everyone was a fan of the shot. A LIV Golf fan page, @LIVGolfEnth, has now alleged that the shot was in contravention of Rule 10.2b(4) of the R&A. According to it, a player’s caddie is not supposed to stand in a location on or close to an extension of the line of play behind the ball when the golfer begins to take his stance for the stroke.

The allegations labeled against McIlroy have resulted in fans picking different sides of my arguments. It has even managed to rekindle the age-old PGA Tour vs LIV Golf debate!

Rory McIlroy’s bunker shot at Hoylake divides the internet

Many fans of LIV Golf are currently saying that the bunker shot would have been treated differently if it was Patrick Reed in place of Rory McIlroy. Reed, who is also competing for the Claret Jug at Hoylake this year, has had many brushes with rules violations in the past.

Others jumped to McIlroy’s defense, saying that the golfer was in the right. They further pointed out that the golfer’s caddie had moved well before he took his stance.

Others urged LIV supporters to focus more on the golfers that played on the Saudi-backed tour instead of McIlroy. Some even aimed jibes at the likes of Phil Mickelson and Talor Gooch, owing to their not-so-memorable outings on the greens on Thursday.

The R&A is yet to comment on whether McIlroy’s bunker shot on the 18th has violated any rules or not. At the end of day one, he posted an even-par 71 to remain 5 shots off the lead, a gap he will hope to reduce during the second round.

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What are your thoughts on McIlroy’s bunker shot? Do you think any LIV pro will lift the Open Championship trophy this year? Let us know in the comments!