Rory McIlroy is chasing his 30th PGA Tour win, but he may have already won the week at Pebble Beach.

During Thursday's opening round, a simple gesture towards a young fan created a moment that will last a lifetime.

The 5-time Major champion met fans waiting behind the barrier while walking off the 13th hole at Spyglass Hill.

A young boy who stood close to the barrier got lucky, as Rory McIlroy flipped a game-used golf ball towards him. He caught it cleanly and froze for a moment.

He shouted "thank you" to McIlroy and continued recording the moment with his device while celebrating with his friend who stood beside him. Well, this wasn't the first time the 2025 Masters Tournament winner moved a fan with his kindness.

During the Irish Open tournament last year in September, McIlroy was walking towards a tent for a media conference. There, he saw a young girl chanting his name and tossed up a golf ball to her. She couldn't stop the tears of joy following his heartwarming act.

Analyzing Rory McIlroy's performance

Rory McIlroy is defending the title after winning it last year, when he defeated Shane Lowry by two strokes.

Coming into this year's competition, he struggled to get going in round one. He suffered two double bogeys on holes 3 and 6. However, he recovered to finish the round at 4-under 68.

The highlight of round 1 was his performance just after sharing a heartwarming moment with that young boy. In hole 14, Rory McIlroy hit an Eagle, covering 594 yards in just 3 strokes.

After the completion of the first two rounds, the veteran sits tied in 17th position. Currently, he has a total score of 9-under par, with 68 in round 1 and 67 in the second.

The third round of the tournament will be telecast on the Golf Channel and CBS. McIlroy is expected to tee off the third round at 12:39 EST on Saturday.

Will McIlroy catch up to the joint current leaders, Akshay Bhatia and Ryo Hisatsune, who share the lead at 15-under par and claim the $20 million prize money? Let us know in the comments!

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Written by

Kalp Thaker

Edited by

Sagnik Bagchi