GolfTalkCentral

McIlroys pigskin reprimand

By Ryan Ballengee
Apr 7, 2011 8:25 PM ET

AUGUSTA, Ga. – As Rory McIlroy was preparing for his third Masters appearance on Wednesday night, he and a few buddies came back from time at the mall to throw around a football. No, not a soccer ball. An American football.

Since spending some more time in the States, McIlroy says he has taken a little shining to our version of football in the street in front of the house he is staying at this week. It was a little late, though, for one of the neighborhood women. She came out to ask McIlroy and crew to cut it out.

McIlroy says the woman didn’t know who he was, but didn’t big time her.

“I just say, ‘I’m sorry. We’ll head inside now.’,” he said after his first round 65 to take the early clubhouse lead at Augusta National.

He says he can throw a spiral, making the motion as he explained it by saying, “Thumb down when you throw, right?”

The follow-up was if they were just chucking the ball or running some plays, patterns and routes.

McIlroy looked plainly forward, thinking about the terminology, then said, “No. I don’t even know what [pattern] means.”

Frankly, after shooting 65, he doesn’t need to worry about it.