Rory McIlroy Dragged Into Augusta Drama Again as Disqualification Threat Looms Over Old Incident

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By Newspot Nigeria Sports Desk

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA — Rory McIlroy’s Masters curse just won’t die. In a shocking twist during this year’s tournament, the Northern Irish superstar was once again hauled before Augusta National officials to face questioning — not for something he did today, but for something that happened 16 years ago.

Yes, you read that right.

Augusta National, the world’s most tradition-obsessed golf course, dug up an incident from McIlroy’s 2009 debut — when he was just 19 — to revisit whether he should have been disqualified back then. The issue? A single frustrated kick in a bunker after a failed shot.

To the rest of the world, it was a harmless act. But to Augusta’s rulebook-wielding gatekeepers, it raised the possibility that McIlroy may have illegally tested the sand before taking his next shot — a violation that, if unreported, would’ve meant signing a false scorecard, an automatic disqualification.

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The ruling body didn’t take it lightly. They launched a four-and-a-half-hour investigation, summoned McIlroy back to the clubhouse long after his round, and subjected him to video analysis and a grilling more suited for a courtroom than a golf club.

At the time, McIlroy insisted it was just a force of habit and not an attempt to improve his lie. Augusta Chairman Fred Ridley later confirmed no rule had been broken — but the message was clear: no one is untouchable at Augusta. Not even Rory.

This year’s decision to resurface the saga feels more like a psychological play than a genuine inquiry — another chapter in what has become a bizarre, almost cruel love-hate relationship between McIlroy and the Masters.

While Rory has broken records, won four majors, and become one of the most bankable names in golf, Augusta has remained his white whale. The Green Jacket — the one thing standing between him and golf immortality — continues to elude him, and Augusta seems determined to make sure it haunts him at every turn.

Could this latest drama rattle his chances again? Or will it be the final fuel that powers McIlroy to a long-overdue Masters victory?

Only time — and Augusta — will tell.

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