Rory McIlroy faces punishment after response to PGA Championship disaster | Golf | Sport
Rory McIlroy carded a four-over at Aronimink (Image: Getty Images)
Rory McIlroy’s temper reached breaking point after closing his opening PGA Championship round with four consecutive bogeys to leave himself four-over par. McIlroy completed the career grand slam last year at the 2025 Masters, claimed back-to-back Green Jackets this year, and is now chasing his second major title of the 2026 season in Philadelphia.
McIlroy was grouped alongside Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth during the first round but was unable to finish his day on a positive note. The 37-year-old bogeyed the final four holes of his round, adding two further dropped shots on the day against just two birdies. Following a deeply disappointing round, he needed just one word to sum it up.
“S***,” he replied when asked by the moderator to describe his opening round.
A new player code of conduct has been brought in at the Majors this year. Though McIlroy’s reaction will unlikely be deemed worth of a stroke penalty, he could still receive a warning.
Repeat offenders face a two-shot penalty under the terms of the clampdown.
“I started missing fairways,” said McIlroy, who was forced to play his second shot from the fescue on the seventh hole with a large crowd of spectators looking on.
“I missed the fairway right on 4, the fairway right on 6, the fairway right on 7, fairway right on 9. From there, it’s hard – you know, I didn’t have great angles either. Then obviously you start missing it just off the edges of these greens, it gets tricky.
“I felt like I did okay. I made that birdie on 5 to get back to even-par after the soft bogey on 4, then I just got on that bogey train at the end.”
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McIlroy once again struggled with his driving, a persistent issue that dogged him at the Masters yet one he ultimately managed to conquer.
It appears, however, that his tee-box woes are beginning to take their toll. “I’m just not driving the ball well enough. It’s been a problem all year for the most part,” he added.
Rory McIlroy after his opening round. (Image: Getty)
“Yeah, I’ve sort of got, like I miss it right, and then I want to try to correct it. And then I’ll overdo it, and I’ll miss it left. It’s a little bit of back and forth that way. So that’s pretty frustrating, especially when like I pride myself on driving the ball well.
“I just need to try to figure it out. I honestly thought I’d figured it out. Coming in here, I hit it well on Sunday at Quail Hollow, and then hit it good at home on Monday. Then even — obviously I had to curtail the practice round Tuesday, but hit it decent yesterday.
“Just sort of, once I get under the gun, it just seems like it starts to go a little bit wayward on me.”
When pressed on whether the toe blister had played any part in his struggles, McIlroy offered a characteristically terse, “No.”
This article first appeared on Mirror US.
