Banana peel moment! A slippery slope for McIlroy during his 3rd round at the Australian Open

MELBOURNE, Australia (AP) — Rory McIlroy survived a bizarre encounter with a banana peel lodged in a tree to shoot a 3-under 68 on Saturday at the Australian Open.

His round left him nine strokes behind leader Danish player Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen, who made birdie putts on the 17th and 18th for a 66 and a 54-hole total of 14-under 199.

Cam Smith, the 2022 British Open champion who ended his streak of missing seven consecutive cuts this year on Friday, also shot 66 Saturday and was tied for second, two strokes off the lead.

On the par-4 second hole, McIlroy missed the fairway and his ball ended up under a small tree and under a banana peel which had apparently been thrown away by a spectator.

Golfers are allowed to move loose impediments as long as the player’s ball doesn’t move in the process. If the ball had shifted as a result of trying to move a loose item, the player incurs a penalty.

So McIlroy tried in vain to hit his ball through the banana peel and the branches and back on to the fairway. But it only traveled about 30 feet and he ended up making a double bogey six.

“It was sort of a double whammy — it was in the tough grass, and under a banana skin,” McIlroy said. “But I shouldn't have been there in the first place.”

The Northern Irishman made birdie on the next hole and after another bogey and birdie to complete the front nine, shot a 1-over 35.

On the back nine which was played in often steady drizzle, McIlroy had four birdies, including on the final two holes as he had done on Friday, when he also shot 68.

"I didn’t get off to a great start, but I played well from there,” said McIlroy, who made five birdies on his final 10 holes Saturday.

“I am probably going to be too far behind to challenge tomorrow,” he added. “But I’d love the course to keep getting firmer and firmer . . . and if it does I think I could go out there and shoot something very low, 8 or 9 under.”

After all his missed cuts, Smith, with a bit of an edge to his comments, said that it was "nice being in contention.”

“It’s been a while since I’ve had this feeling to be honest," Smith said. “I love that it’s the Australian Open. I couldn’t think of a better place to get back into form. It would shut a few people up."

McIlroy, whose pre-tournament news conference included comments that Royal Melbourne was not the best sandbelt course in the city, had a wild opening round on Thursday containing six bogeys and five birdies.

McIlroy, the Race to Dubai winner and who completed his career Grand Slam when he won the Masters this year, is making his first appearance at the Australian Open since 2015. He won it in 2013.

The winner of the Australian Open, which is the second event on the European tour's new schedule of tournaments for late this year and 2026, receives a Masters exemption next year. And the top three finishers not already exempt will qualify for the British Open in 2026 at Royal Birkdale.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Cam Smith of Australia plays an approach shot on the 9th Hole during the first round of the Australian Open golf tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Cam Smith of Australia plays an approach shot on the 18th Hole during the first round of the Australian Open golf tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland (centre) reacts after completing his round with Adam Scott of Australia (Left) and Min Woo Lee of Australia (Right) during the first round of the Australian Open golf tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Adam Scott of Australia on the 9th Hole after completing his 1st round during the first round of the Australian Open golf tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts during the first round of the Australian Open golf tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland plays an approach shot on the 10th hole during the first round of the Australian Open golf tournament in Melbourne, Australia, Thursday, Dec. 4, 2025. (AP Photo/Asanka Brendon Ratnayake)

WASHINGTON (AP) — White House chief of staff Susie Wiles has been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer but will continue working during her treatment, President Donald Trump said in a social media post on Monday.

Trump said Wiles’ prognosis is “excellent” and described her as “one of the strongest people I know.” He said Wiles plans to begin treatment immediately but made no suggestion she was pulling back on her work as one of his closest advisers.

“During the treatment period, she will be spending virtually full time at the White House, which makes me, as President, very happy!” Trump said on his Truth Social platform. “She will soon be better than ever!”

It comes as the Republican president confronts mounting challenges on global and national fronts, from the war in Iran and soaring oil prices to this fall’s midterm elections and Americans' concerns over affordability.

Wiles, 68, is a longtime Trump ally who rose from his campaign co-chair to his closest adviser and counsel. The first woman to become White House chief of staff, Wiles spent decades as a lobbyist and political operative in Florida and led Trump’s 2016 effort in the state.

She mostly shuns the spotlight but drew attention in December with an unusually candid Vanity Fair interview in which she made critical remarks about Trump administration leaders including Vice President JD Vance and Attorney General Pam Bondi. Trump underscored his trust in Wiles in the aftermath, calling the interview a “hit piece” and describing Wiles as “fantastic.”

In his Monday post, Trump reiterated that Wiles is “tough and deeply committed to serving the American People.”

“Melania and I are with her in every way, and we look forward to working with Susie on the many big and wonderful things that are happening for the benefit of our Country,” Trump said, referring to first lady Melania Trump.

President Donald Trump speaks during a board meeting of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts in the East Room of the White House, Monday, March 16, 2026, in Washington, as White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, looks on. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

FILE - White House chief of staff Susie Wiles waits for the arrival of President Donald Trump for a Medal of Honor ceremony in the East Room of the White House, March 2, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein, FIle)

White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles attends a board meeting of the John F. Kennedy Memorial Center For The Performing Arts in the East Room of the White House, Monday, March 16, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

FILE - White House chief of staff Susie Wiles listens as President Donald Trump meets with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in the Oval Office of the White House, Feb. 4, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)

FILE - White House chief of staff Susie Wiles listens as President Donald Trump speaks to reporters after signing an executive order reclassifying marijuana as a less dangerous drug in the Oval Office of the White House, Dec. 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci, File)