Summary McIlroy benefited from his ball landing in a fan's pocket in second round of the Tour Championship.
ATLANTA (AFP) - A little luck goes a long way as Rory McIlroy benefited from his ball landing in a fan s pocket in the second round of the Tour Championship.
McIlroy smacked his drive on the par-four No. 14 into the trees on the right side of the fairway only to have it land into a spectator s pocket.
After an awkward back-and-forth exchange McIlroy eventually got the ball from the gentleman s pocket by having the fan hand it to him.
He shook the man s hand laughing at their strange encounter.
McIlroy called an official and got a free drop and went on to make par. But not before he shook the man s hand a second time after the Northern Irishman had blasted his shot out the rough and nicely onto the green.
McIlroy thought he had seen everything in golf until pocket-gate happened.
"It hit up on the tree and ricocheted straight into his pocket," McIlroy said. "I wasn t going in there. I know how sweaty my pockets are. I m not going into anyone else s."
McIlroy, who already has an Open Championship and a PGA Championship this year, finished with a five-under 65 Friday and is tied for second two strokes behind leader Billy Horschel heading into the weekend at the Tour Championship.
He would be guaranteed the FedEx Cup and $10 million with a victory at the season finale.
The FedEx Cup "would be the icing on the cake, really. I wanted to cap it off in style and I ve given myself a chance to do that over the next two days," McIlroy said.
