{"id":488690,"date":"2026-02-20T23:33:07","date_gmt":"2026-02-20T23:33:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/488690\/"},"modified":"2026-02-20T23:33:07","modified_gmt":"2026-02-20T23:33:07","slug":"riviera-prohibits-it-but-rory-mcilroy-still-executed-it-spectacularly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/488690\/","title":{"rendered":"Riviera prohibits it. But Rory McIlroy still executed it \u2014\u00a0spectacularly \u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Many golf shots excel at inducing anxiety: flop shots off hardpan, drivers off the deck<\/a>, Jordan Spieth . . . well . . . [insert shot here]. But surely no shot is nervier than a chip off a green. Thankfully, we don\u2019t often bear witness to such derring-do, because (1) rare is the need for such a shot, and (2) so high is the degree of difficulty that no one with a handicap higher than, oh, plus-4 or -5 would or should even think about attempting such risk-taking. \u00a0<\/p>\n

That brings us to Rory McIlroy<\/a>, who in the opening round of the Genesis Invitational<\/a> at Riviera on Thursday found himself stymied by the bunker that sits in the middle of the green on the par-3 6th. Riviera\u2019s membership is not permitted to hit wedge shots off the 6th green during regular club play, but that rule does not apply when the pros come to town.<\/p>\n

So McIlroy grabbed a high-lofted club and clipped his ball off the putting surface with a surgeon\u2019s touch. The ball flew about 30 yards, carried the bunker and landed about 20 feet above the hole before gently trundling down a slope to tap-in range. \u201cThat\u2019s magic right there,\u201d said a voice from the booth.<\/p>\n

It was magic, which isn\u2019t to say McIlroy pulled the shot out of his hat. He\u2019d practiced it. A lot. After his opening five-under 66 that gave him a share of the lead, McIlroy explained that he hones his short game at the Bear\u2019s Club in South Florida by chipping off greens. \u201cIt really helps me control my low point and find the low point,\u201d he said. \u201cIf you can chip off of a really tight lie or a green like that, you can basically chip off any lie.\u201d<\/p>\n

He added, \u201cThe superintendent probably doesn\u2019t like it too much, but it helps.\u201d<\/p>\n

Paul Azinger used to practice the same way. Same goes for Luke Donald<\/a>, who a few years back posted a tutorial on Instagram<\/a> about how chipping off a green can help you use wedge bounce effectively. \u201cBody and club rotate together thru the hit,\u201d he wrote among other tips. \u201dNotice how my body is facing my target at the end even though it\u2019s a short shot & my club is matching with my spine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Sounds tricky, and it is. When Gary Woodland chipped from one side of Pebble Beach\u2019s 17th green to the other in the decisive moments of the 2019 U.S. Open \u2014\u00a0and nearly holed out \u2014\u00a0Curtis Strange, who was calling the action for NBC, said, \u201cThat might have been the best executed shot of his life.\u201d<\/p>\n

McIlroy\u2019s chip shot at 6 wasn\u2019t his only dazzling strike of the day. Thanks to the wet and windy conditions, his full (and still evolving) arsenal of shotmaking was on display, namely sawed-off, low-spin iron shots and bullet drives that stayed under the breeze, like the rope he hit on the par-4 18th.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor some tee shots I just don\u2019t like getting the ball in the air,\u201d he said. \u201cIf I feel if I can keep it low, it keeps it in front of me. \u2026 Obviously the hill [on 18 is] about 20 yards further away than it was a few years ago, so when I hit the tee shot I was like, \u2018Oh, go, go just a little bit.\u2019 It was fine, but it\u2019s a nice shot to have in the bag.\u201d<\/p>\n

As of this writing, McIlroy was two under through four in his second round and seven under overall, two back of Xander Schaufelle\u2019s lead.<\/p>\n