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Rory McIlroy's defence of his Emirates Australian Open title - to join Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Greg Norman as the only players to win back-to-back opens - took a enormous jolt today after a round of 76.
The Northern Irishman, who was tied at the top of the leaderboard with Rod Pampling, American Jordan Spieth, Brett Rumford and Greg Chalmers as he played the ninth of the third round, blocked his drive in the thick fescue grass on the right side of the fairway.
He could have declared his ball unplayable, but he attempted the possible of a challenge that looked impossible.
An enormous swipe at the ball failed to dislodge, in fact, it became even deeper in the mulga.
Then, he finally took his medicine and took a two club-length penalty drop. It didn’t give him full relief off the wood chip surround of the fescue but he got it back into play.
So, four shots (one a penalty) already played.
His next shot, a wedge from 60 metres, found the green about six metres from the pin. He two-putted for a triple bogey seven.
Suddenly, inexplicably, he was three shots off the lead. It is understood rules officials will review the incident before a triple bogey is confirmed.
Scott picked up two shots on the front nine to be four-under-par for the championship, just one behind Spieth and Pampling, who holed out for a spectacular eagle two at the par-4 10th.
Spieth collected back-to-back birdies early in his round to lead for much of his front nine before Pampling joined him with his pinpoint wedge.
After starting moving day three behind Chalmers, Scott bookended his front nine with birdies to close to within one of the lead, while McIlroy was slower to get going.
The defending champion was unable to get up and down after hitting over the green on the tough par-3 fourth hole, but bounced back with a birdie on the par-4 fifth after almost holing his sand shot for an eagle.
Conditions at The Australian Golf Club were more difficult on Saturday, with blustery winds proving troublesome.
The biggest movers came from the morning wave, with Daniel Nisbet charging up the leaderboard into equal 12th position at even par for the championship with a bogey-free four-under 67.
