US Open officials have released a statement after a fan appeared to interfere with Rory McIlroy’s ball during the opening round of the 2026 US Open at Shinnecock Hills.
As reported by SPORTbible, footage from McIlroy’s first round quickly sparked discussion among golf fans after a spectator appeared to reach for the Northern Irishman’s ball while it was still in play.
The incident occurred on the par-four 4th hole, McIlroy’s 13th of the day. After his second shot drifted into the rough and bounced off a nearby cart path, the ball came to rest on a small patch of grass close to spectators.
Broadcast cameras appeared to show a female fan bending down towards the ball, prompting nearby spectators to shout “No!” amid concerns that she was about to pick it up. Under the Rules of Golf, a spectator touching or lifting a ball in play can result in a potentially significant situation for tournament officials.
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US Open clarifies incident
According to SPORTbible, tournament officials reviewed the footage and gathered testimony from fans who were present before issuing a statement to clarify what happened.
“Right after McIlroy’s second shot on the 4th hole came to rest, it appeared on the broadcast that a fan was about to pick it up when the camera moved away,” the statement said.
“However, based on the testimony of fans and a review of the available video, his ball was not lifted. The fan stopped just before picking it up, and McIlroy played the ball as it lay.”
The clarification ended speculation surrounding the incident and confirmed that no rules breach had occurred.
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McIlroy pleased with solid opening round
Despite the brief distraction, McIlroy produced a strong opening round in difficult conditions at Shinnecock Hills.
The 2026 Masters champion carded a one-under-par 69 to sit tied for ninth place after day one. His round featured three birdies and an eagle, although he dropped shots on each of his final two holes.
Speaking after his round, McIlroy acknowledged the challenge presented by the course and conditions.
“With the conditions today, anything under par or anything around even par is a good score,” he said.
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“It was a day to really keep yourself in the tournament and not shoot yourself out of it, which is exactly what I did eight years ago here. Went out with the mindset that pars were going to be good and if you could pick up a couple of birdies here and there, that’s always a bonus.
“Really just minimising the mistakes and I did that for the most part today. I didn’t feel like I hit two bad iron shots on the last two holes, but I put myself in pretty difficult spots and wasn’t able to get it up and down.”
Leaderboard standings
Elsewhere, Wyndham Clark leads the tournament at six-under par after an impressive opening round, while Dustin Johnson sits two shots behind on four-under.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler endured a tougher day and finished two-over par, while defending champion Bryson DeChambeau opened with an even-par round.
McIlroy is scheduled to begin his second round at 18:58 alongside Ludvig Åberg and Tommy Fleetwood.
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