Rory McIlroy was forced to swap out his driver in the build-up to this week’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow.
McIlroy, who is fresh off completing the career Grand Slam when winning the Masters at Augusta National last month, has got off to a slow start by his high standards, sitting at one-over-par for the week. Even before a shot was hit, though, the Northern Irishman was dealt a blow.
The five-time major winner was required to take out one of his most reliable clubs in the bag, the driver, with Sirius XM reporting that the piece of equipment was deemed non-conforming by the USGA.
It remains to be seen what the problem with the driver was, but checks conducted ensured McIlroy was unable to use it. Delving further into the details of the USGA checks, Johnson Wagner told the radio station: “The USGA conducts these tests pretty much every here out here.
“They test all aspects of the face, and drivers fail all the time. Every single week, someone’s driver fails. It is by no fault of the player, they don’t know how to do it, it is a sophisticated testing system. When you are a player like Rory McIlroy, who hits the ball as hard as he does, the face naturally thins out.
“Rory McIlroy with his speed, it thins out a little quicker, and it is unfortunate it happened the week of a major.” McIlroy himself is yet to comment on the swap, having opted to once again skip media duties following the end of his second round. Usually one of the best drivers of the ball from the PGA Tour, McIlroy has been far from his best on the tee box.
Having carded a three-over 74 in round one, the two-time PGA champion hit just four fairways, hitting only two more on day two. Despite his struggles off the tee, there were plenty of improvements for McIlroy, who shot a two-under 69 to ensure he will play the weekend.
Things started so well for the Masters champion, heading out in three-under to get himself back to level-par for the tournament. The back nine, however, was a much tougher task. Despite making another three birdies coming back in, these were cancelled out by four bogeys, including two at the final two holes.
It was a frustrating finish for McIlroy, who sits nine shots behind the 36-hole leader Jhonattan Vegas. Despite this, McIlroy will be looking to tap into his romance with the Charlotte course, having come back from the same deficit to win his maiden PGA Tour title at Quail Hollow in 2010.
He has won four times around the track during his career, and spoke of his fondness for the venue heading into the event. “[It’s] always nice to come back to Quail Hollow, for obvious reasons,” he told reporters earlier in the week. “I have obviously great memories from this place.
“First win on the PGA Tour 15 years ago. Winning last year, I probably played my best golf of the year here, especially at the weekend. Look, it’s been an amazing 2025. There’s been a lot of great golf played, but there’s still a lot of golf left to play this year.”