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NORTH BERWICK, SCOTLAND – JULY 13: Justin Thomas of the United States and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland walk on the 11th hole during Day One of the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club on July 13, 2023 in United Kingdom. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n
Justin Thomas and Rory McIlroy endured a grueling battle against difficult conditions during the second round of the Memorial Tournamen<\/a>t, but it was an incredibly rare moment on the greens that stole the spotlight.<\/p>\n With swirling winds and firm conditions making Muirfield Village<\/a> one of the toughest<\/a> tests on the PGA Tour schedule, both stars struggled to find their best form on Friday. McIlroy carded a 74 while Thomas signed for a 75, though both managed to safely advance to the weekend.<\/p>\n Justin Thomas made a put to save par at 18 and make the cut.<\/p>\n After instead of a handshake, Rory and Justin hugged.<\/p>\n Thomas said after the round was the toughest he\u2019s ever played on tour and he and Rory both needed a hug. <\/p>\n After the round, however, Thomas was asked about a bizarre incident<\/a> involving McIlroy that happened not once, but twice in consecutive rounds.<\/p>\n Justin Thomas Left Stunned by Unusual Rory McIlroy Coin Incident<\/p>\n Speaking with reporters following his round, Thomas explained how his golf ball somehow finished directly next to McIlroy\u2019s coin marker on the green for the second straight day.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s funny, it happened yesterday,\u201d Thomas said.<\/p>\n The two-time major champion detailed how the unusual sequence first unfolded during Thursday\u2019s round. Thomas had to mark and move his ball because it came to rest directly in front of McIlroy\u2019s coin. After McIlroy putted, Thomas replaced his ball and somehow watched it finish in the exact same spot again.<\/p>\n Then the nearly impossible happened for a second consecutive day.<\/p>\n \u201cThen it happened today,\u201d Thomas said. \u201cLike it was like that, what was it, where Zalatoris a couple years ago or something, like had a ball finish on someone\u2019s coin.\u201d<\/p>\n Thomas could hardly believe the odds of seeing the same occurrence twice in back-to-back rounds.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was the same kind of thing. Like it just doesn\u2019t \u2014 it will never happen again in my career. It was nuts.\u201d<\/p>\n Golf fans occasionally see balls come to rest against another player\u2019s marker, but witnessing the same two players experience it on consecutive days is almost unheard of. Given the precision involved on PGA Tour greens, Thomas\u2019 reaction was understandable.<\/p>\n Thomas and McIlroy Shared a Hug After Grueling Round<\/p>\n The challenges at Muirfield Village extended far beyond the strange coin incident.<\/p>\n Both Thomas and McIlroy spent most of Friday battling difficult scoring conditions, and by the time they reached the final green, the pair appeared physically and mentally exhausted.<\/p>\n Instead of a customary handshake after completing their rounds, the longtime friends shared a warm embrace.<\/p>\n Thomas later revealed the reason behind the moment.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was a mutual hug,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cWe just looked at each other and I think we both, we were like, we need a hug.\u201d<\/p>\n Thomas even joked that he may have needed it more than McIlroy.<\/p>\n \u201cHe probably realized I needed one maybe more. It was a grind. It was a different grind for him, but, yeah, we were just battling out there.\u201d<\/p>\n The difficult week at Muirfield Village has been another reminder of how much McIlroy wants to eventually conquer Jack Nicklaus\u2019 signature event.\u00a0<\/p>\n Speaking this weekend, McIlroy admitted he still dreams of winning the Memorial and revealed that Nicklaus recently encouraged him to incorporate more cut shots into his game, believing the trajectory would help the ball land softer on the tournament\u2019s demanding greens.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThat was the hardest round of golf that I can remember \u2013 major, non-major, it was just insane.\u201d<\/p>\n Justin Thomas gets up and down on 18 to make the cut @MemorialGolf<\/a>. <\/p>\n McIlroy ultimately finished the tournament at 4-under par, which was a tie for 12th place, while Thomas ended the week at 2-under par, finishing tied for 19th.<\/p>\n For now, though, McIlroy and Thomas will likely remember this week most for an incident that Thomas believes he will never see again.<\/p>\n