McIlroy playfully pretended to take his next shot off her lap amid laughter before he called for the referee, who himself could not contain a smile as he took in the Northern Irishman's predicament while the woman stood absolutely still. loading"You can pass him the ball," the referee said as the relieved woman quickly picked up the ball and handed it to McIlroy. McIlroy also found the wooden bridge on the 18th, bizarrely the second player to do so after Viktor Hovland's shot on the 17th landed on the rickety structure. Nicolai Hojgaard, Julien Guerrier and Matthieu Pavon shared a three-way lead after they shot 67 for five-under par. Reporting by Rohith Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Julien PretotOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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Persons: Ryder, Marco Simone Golf, Rory McIlroy, Carl Recine, teed, McIlroy, Viktor Hovland's, Nicolai Hojgaard, Julien Guerrier, Matthieu Pavon, Rohith Nair, Julien Pretot Organizations: Country Club, REUTERS, Jumeirah Golf Estates, Thomson Locations: Rome, Italy, Dubai, Bengaluru