Watch Rory McIlroy slap the bum of PGA rival after being pipped to $3.6m payday
Rory McIlroy was one of the first players to congratulate Kurt Kitayama after he claimed the Arnold Palmer Invitational on the PGA Tour.
Rory McIlroy was one of the first players to congratulate Kurt Kitayama after he claimed the Arnold Palmer Invitational.
Kitayama was the 54-hole leader at Bay Hill and all was going well until disaster struck at No. 9 on Sunday.
His tugged tee shot and his TP5x went way, way left and eventually settled off the part path out of bounds by a matter of inches.
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Still, Kitayama showed huge grit and determination to fight his way back into the picture and eventually won by just one stroke.
Kitayama - nicknamed 'Quadzilla' - by his peers, could not believe it after picking up the top prize of $3.6m.
McIlroy was watching the drama unfold on the TV monitors near the 18th green.
The Northern Irishman could be seen mouthing 'wow' as Kitayama almost drained a birdie putt from nearly 50ft at the 72nd hole.
In the immediate aftermath, McIlroy congratulated Kitayama. McIlroy was filmed twice giving Kitayama a pat on the bum to get his attention.
McIlroy said of Kitayama:
"I wouldn't have tried that"
McIlroy made the turn six strokes off Kitayama's lead at Bay Hill. He had had absolutely no idea about Kitayama's troubles at No. 9.
By the time McIlroy arrived at the par-3 14th, he was leading by one.
And he didn't even know it, as he told the media he hadn't looked up at the leaderboard. Then McIlroy produced the worst swing of the day.
He appeared fully committed with his 8-iron but it looked as if he slipped a tad and his golf ball sailed left into the greenside bunker.
McIlroy then two-putted for bogey and later told of how he wished he could've had that shot back.
He told the media:
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