Golf can be cruel, but equipment issues four days before a major championship? That’s just heartbreaking. When that major happens to be the US Open at Oakmont, the pressure becomes almost unbearable. Rory McIlroy walked off the course at TPC Toronto Friday knowing his driver problems have become a genuine crisis, not just a minor inconvenience.

McIlroy’s candid admission after Friday’s disaster at the RBC Canadian Open said everything. “Yeah, of course it concerns me. You don’t want to shoot high scores like the one I did today,” McIlroy explained. His 8-over 78 sealed his fate with the worst PGA Tour finish of his career. Missing his first cut since The Open in 2024. Rory recorded one quadruple bogey, a double bogey, eight bogeys, and five birdies on the week. The root of his problems became immediately apparent.

“Still, I felt like I came here obviously with a new driver thinking that that sort of thing was going to be good and solve some of the problems off the tee, but it didn’t,” McIlroy admitted. The TaylorMade Qi35 driver was supposed to provide answers. Instead, it cost him more than he could bargain for.

McIlroy had switched to a shorter driver for more control. “I went—so I went back to a 44-inch driver this week to try to get something that was a little more in control and could try to get something a bit more in play,” he explained. However, the strategy backfired completely. “But if I’m going to miss fairways, I’d rather have the ball speed and miss the fairway than not,” McIlroy reasoned.

His performance statistics at this $9.8 million event painted an alarming picture. McIlroy lost approximately 2.233 strokes off the tee across both rounds. He hit just 13 of 28 fairways during the tournament. A devastating quadruple-bogey 8 on Friday’s fifth hole epitomized his wayward driving.

Most tellingly, this marks his second failed attempt this year. “I was saying to Harry going down the last one, this is the second time this year I’ve tried the new version, and it hasn’t quite worked out for me,” he admitted. The pattern suggests deeper issues than simple adjustment periods.

But Rory’s concerns extend far beyond one poor tournament. “Obviously going to Oakmont next week, what you need to do more than anything else there is hit fairways,” he stressed. Oakmont’s narrow corridors demand precision above all else. Meanwhile, his driving accuracy remains unreliable.

“Still sort of searching for the sort of missing piece off the tee,” McIlroy admitted with apparent frustration. “Obviously for me, when I get that part of the game clicking, then everything falls into place for me. Right now that isn’t,” he explained. “Yeah, that’s a concern going into next week,” McIlroy concluded.

Time is running out before Oakmont’s brutal examination, and something needs to be done urgently. “So I’d say I’ll be testing quite a few drivers over the weekend,” McIlroy promised. Four days remain to solve months of equipment problems. These current problems stem from a devastating incident just weeks ago.

These struggles stem from May’s devastating equipment controversy at the PGA Championship. McIlroy’s trusted TaylorMade Qi10 driver failed USGA testing at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. Officials discovered “driver creep” had made the clubface non-conforming through repeated use.

The forced equipment change immediately destroyed his confidence. McIlroy hit only four fairways in the opening round. He managed just 10 of 28 fairways over two rounds. His tied-for-47th finish reflected the equipment disruption.

Media leaks made the situation worse. McIlroy’s name appeared in reports, while Scottie Scheffler‘s similar issue remained private. The breach of confidentiality added insult to injury during an already difficult week.

The controversy highlights ongoing challenges in professional golf. Technology advances faster than regulatory oversight can keep pace with. Players invest months developing confidence with specific equipment. Sudden changes can significantly disrupt preparation and competitive performance. McIlroy’s weekend of driver testing represents a desperate search for solutions with golf’s toughest test looming.