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Atlanta - A little luck goes a long way as Rory McIlroy benefited from his ball landing in a fan's pocket in the second round of the Tour Championship.
McIlroy smacked his drive on the par-four No. 14 into the trees on the right side of the fairway only to have it land into a spectator's pocket.
After an awkward back-and-forth exchange McIlroy eventually got the ball from the gentleman's pocket by having the fan hand it to him.
He shook the man's hand laughing at their strange encounter.
McIlroy called an official and got a free drop and went on to make par. But not before he shook the man's hand a second time after the Northern Irishman had blasted his shot out the rough and nicely onto the green.
McIlroy thought he had seen everything in golf until pocket-gate happened.
"It hit up on the tree and ricocheted straight into his pocket," McIlroy said. "I wasn't going in there. I know how sweaty my pockets are. I'm not going into anyone else's."
McIlroy, who already has an Open Championship and a PGA Championship this year, finished with a five-under 65 Friday and is tied for second two strokes behind leader Billy Horschel heading into the weekend at the Tour Championship.
He would be guaranteed the FedEx Cup and $10 million with a victory at the season finale.
The FedEx Cup "would be the icing on the cake, really. I wanted to cap it off in style and I've given myself a chance to do that over the next two days," McIlroy said.
