Rory McIlroy is gearing up for the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Philadelphia, aiming to win back-to-back majors and become the fifth player since 1960 to clinch the first two majors of the year. The 37-year-old cut his practice round short on Tuesday due to a blister on his right little toe, which he later described as 'a mountain out of a molehill.' He completed his planned practice round on Wednesday.
McIlroy Put on Notice by Brandel Chamblee
Brandel Chamblee, the Golf Channel analyst, has warned that McIlroy cannot beat world number one Scottie Scheffler if the latter brings his A-game. Scheffler has had an underwhelming start to the season by his own standards, producing what Chamblee called 'the worst golf he's played in five years.' However, Chamblee insists that when Scheffler is at his best, he is 'still miles ahead of anybody else.'
'If Scottie plays well this week, Rory can't beat him. Scottie is so demonstrably better than everybody else, it's just not close. If Scottie plays his best golf, Rory cannot beat him,' Chamblee said. 'Rory has been playing professional golf for almost 20 years. If you cherry-pick his best year - it might be last year, it might be '19, it might be '14, it might be '12 - he's still not as good as Scottie Scheffler.'
Chamblee added: 'Scottie Scheffler is off his game considerably this year. It's the worst golf he's played in five years, and he's still miles ahead of everybody else, and that includes Rory. We've not seen what we're seeing in Scottie Scheffler. You're talking about as close to Tiger Woods as you can ever imagine.'
Justin Rose Disappointed by McIlroy's Comments
Justin Rose expressed disappointment at McIlroy's description of Aronimink as a course where players can 'bash away' off the tee. Rose, a Ryder Cup team-mate of McIlroy, politely disagreed, saying it was 'a shame to hear' such comments, as Donald Ross courses are not designed for that style of play.
'That's a shame to hear that because that's not what a Donald Ross course is designed to be or historically has been,' Rose said. 'The rough's definitely creeping up, though to the point where you got to be respectful, I think.'
Tee Times and Pairings
McIlroy tees off his first round from the 10th at 1.40pm UK time. Scheffler and Rose, in the same group and starting on the first, tee off at 7.05pm.
