WATCH: Rory McIlroy Sends His Ball for a Swim at WGC-Dell Match Play 2021

The WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play 2021 is underway, and there’s plenty of action to look forward to. The world’s best golfers will battle it out till Sunday to win at the prestigious Austin Country Club, but Rory McIlroy got off to a horrible start in his opening round match against Ian Poulter.

Rory McIlroy sends his tee-shot out of bounds into a neighbor’s pool

Rory McIlroy headed into WGC-Dell Match Play on the back of a 36-hole cut from The 2021 Players Championship. He required a confident start to emerge as the frontrunner to win his group, but a horrible turn of events sent McIlroy trailing early on. 

Rory McIlroy played Ian Poulter in his first-round match and it was the duel that everyone had been waiting for. The latter got off to a good start and went 1-up right in the par-4 first hole. 

It was agony for McIlroy at the start, but he managed to find good strokes and match Poulter’s efforts in the subsequent holes. However, holes #4 and #5 caused massive troubles for the Northern Irishman. 

McIlroy bogeyed the par-3 fourth hole by missing a 20-inch putt and followed it with a horrible tee-shot at the fifth. He hit it massively wide and the ball eventually ended up in a swimming pool. 

What was more amusing it that the ball landed into a neighboring person’s swimming pool. It found its way out of the course and crossed the bounds! Who could’ve guessed?!

McIlroy eventually bogeyed the fifth hole and trailed Poulter by two holes. This left him with a lot of work to do in the back nine as well as the remaining ones on the front. 

McIlroy hired a new swing coach before WGC-Dell Match Play

There was a lot of chatter after Rory McIlroy faced the cut in The 2021 Players Championship. The 31-year-old admitted that he hasn’t been getting it right and mentioned that he needs to change his swing pattern. 

Just a week after making an honest admission, the four-time Major winner announced that he’s hired Pete Cowen as his new swing coach. 

McIlroy is making massive strides to improve his game for the 2021 season. He’s already faced two cuts this year and it is about time the former World No. 1 gets back to winning ways. 

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