MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Rory McIlroy survived a bizarre encounter with a banana peel lodged in a tree to shoot a 3-under 68 on Saturday at the Australian Open.

His score of 5-under 208 after three rounds left him likely at least five or six strokes behind the leaders, who were still on the course at Royal Melbourne, going into Sunday's final round.

On the par-4 second hole, McIlroy missed the fairway right and his ball ended up under a small tree and under a banana peel which had apparently been thrown away by a spectator.

Golfers are allowed to move loose impediments as long as the player’s ball doesn’t move in the process. If the ball had shifted as a result of trying to move a loose item, the player incurs a penalty.

So McIlroy tried in vain to hit his ball through the banana

See Full Page