Golf follows the rule that a player must play the course as they find it and play the ball as it lies. Rule 15.1 defines natural objects as loose impediments (natural object). A player can remove a loose impediment anywhere on the course without penalty.

But that freedom comes with a condition. If the ball is not on the green and moves while a player removes a loose impediment, Rule 9.4 applies and a one-stroke penalty is added. It is a small detail within the rulebook, yet moments like this show how a harmless object can become a decisive factor in championship golf.

The Incident at Royal Melbourne

The rule became important during the third round of the Crown Australian Open on 6 December 2025. The event took place at The Royal Melbourne Golf Club. Rory McIlroy started the day seven shots behind the lead. He had finished the second round with three birdies and hoped to continue that run.

On the par four second hole his tee shot missed the fairway. His ball came to rest in rough. A discarded banana peel covered part of the ball. It was a loose impediment, yet it touched the ball. Removing it could move the ball. That would create a penalty.

McIlroy Explains His Decision

After the round, a reporter asked McIlroy about the moment.

Reporter: “It all happened pretty quickly, that banana peel, did you ask for a ruling at all? What was your understanding of, if you maybe asked for relief there at all?”

McIlroy: “No, I do not think so.”

Reporter: “Did you ask?”

McIlroy: “No, because I assumed I would not. The banana, it is a loose impediment and it was rested on the ball. So if I moved the banana peel the ball would have moved. I just did not even try.”

He played the ball from that lie and the shot advanced only a short distance. He finished the hole with a double bogey six.

Momentum After the Setback

McIlroy called the incident a “double whammy” and said, “I feel like this is a week of firsts in a lot of ways.” He also said, “I mean, I should not have been there in the first place, but, yeah, I was not the best to start.”

He made a quick recovery. He birdied the third hole. His back nine included four birdies. He finished the round with a three under 68 and moved to five under for the tournament.

Position After Round Three

McIlroy said he still had a chance to reach the leaders. “If they stay around that ten or eleven mark then I feel like I would have a chance from there,” he said. “I will go out there and try my best tomorrow and try to shoot a low one and see where it leaves me.”

Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Oajaswini Prabhu