ONE OF US! Herbert tries (and fails) 'desperate' shot in Rory McIlroy match

Lucas Herbert had a relatable golf moment during his match against Rory McIlroy at the WGC Match Play.

ONE OF US! Herbert tries (and fails) 'desperate' shot in Rory McIlroy match
ONE OF US! Herbert tries (and fails) 'desperate' shot in Rory McIlroy match

Sometimes in match play, your opponent forces your hand and you have to try the impossible. 

Lucas Herbert will likely agree after this moment in his last 16 tie against Rory McIlroy at the WGC Match Play

Herbert was playing well against the 33-year-old Northern Irishman.

The Australian, 27, was 4-under through 11 holes, but found himself struggling to keep up with McIlroy, who was firing on all cylinders.

This was just one of those moments that comes out of nowhere. Golf? It's just hard. 

Related: The drive of McIlroy's life?

ONE OF US! Herbert tries (and fails) 'desperate' shot in Rory McIlroy match

This all happened on No. 12 at Austin Country Club, a mammoth 588-yard par-5. Both players had wedges into the green playing their third shots. 

McIlroy stuffed his to inside six feet, whereas Herbert's approach nestled against the wooden sleeper next to the water short and left of the green. 

How exactly do you play this? Toe the putter? Thin a long iron? Kick it and hope nobody notices?

Herbert opted for a wedge and, reader, it went exactly how you would suspect. 

The heel, unfortunately, clattered the wood first which immediately closed the club face. His ball came out, only to dart left and find a watery grave. 

"He can get the club on it," explained Sky Sports' Nick Dougherty as Herbert stood perilously close to the water. "Just not much of it."

Watch the shot here:

Nightmare fuel.

"The twists and turns of match play," added Ewen Murray in the booth. "Small target. You can see what happened, the heel of the club caught the sleeper, turned the face shut and shot the ball left...with pace.

Added Dougherty:

"It smacked a little bit of desperation, didn't it, because he would've put that club in there and known in his heart of hearts that he couldn't squeeze it in. We assumed he could, because he was trying the shot but...ah, that stings."
"And the desperation to try that shot Ewen. You have to give a lot of credit to the wedge shot that Rory [McIlroy] had just hit in there because he sort of felt he had to have a dig.
[He would have been thinking] I've got to try and play this and you're right [Ewen] he would've had more hope of getting proper contact with the toe of the putter, that would've been a nice option. But he was just hoping that he could somehow nick it out of that lie, get it scooting up that green, get it turning from right to left."

Murray suggested a thin 5-iron might not have nicked against the sleeper.

Herbert conceded the hole, and it was fair to say he was a little bit flustered as he blasted his drive at the next way, way right. 

Still, McIlroy gifted him the hole though, missing a birdie putt from three feet.

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