Rory McIlroy did not mince words when describing his opening round at the US PGA Championship, calling it "s***" after a disastrous finish that saw him bogey the final four holes. The Northern Irishman, seeking back-to-back major titles following his Masters victory last month, struggled to find his rhythm at Aronimink Golf Club, ending the day at 4-over par and facing an uphill battle to make the cut.
A Round to Forget
Playing alongside Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth, McIlroy managed only two birdies against six bogeys. His troubles began early, with missed fairways proving costly. Asked by a moderator to sum up his round, McIlroy replied bluntly: "S***. I started missing fairways. I missed the fairway right on four, the fairway right on six, the fairway right on seven, fairway right on nine."
He added: "I made that birdie on five to get back to even-par after the soft bogey on four, then I just got on that bogey train at the end. I’m just not driving the ball well enough. It’s been a problem all year for the most part. I just need to try to figure it out. I honestly thought I’d figured it out."
Driving Woes Continue
McIlroy's driving accuracy, a recurring issue, was again his undoing. Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley analysed the situation for Sky Sports: "He didn't putt very well but it all goes back to off the tee. All of his dropped shots, except for one, were dropped from being wild off the tee and being unable to recover. We saw him win The Masters so brilliantly, but he was second-last for driving accuracy and so he got away with it. Today, Aronimink bit anyone who hit it in the rough."
McGinley emphasised the importance of hitting fairways at Aronimink: "A lot of players said this week there was no strategy off the tee and you just belt driver everywhere but the scoring proved that is not the case. You miss fairways at your peril around here as the greens are treacherous. You need to hit the fairway to have control."
Rahm and Spieth Fare Better
While McIlroy struggled, his playing partners both finished at 1-under par. Rahm, however, had his own moment of frustration, apologising after hitting a volunteer with a divot during an angry swing. "Just out of frustration, I tried to make an air swing, just over the grass, and I wasn’t looking, took a divot, and unfortunately, I hit a volunteer. I couldn’t feel any worse. That’s why I was there apologising. I need to somehow track him down to give him a present because that’s inexcusable and for something that could be completely avoidable," Rahm said.
Rahm also commented on the course conditions, noting that early predictions of winning scores around 15 to 20 under par were unlikely given the firming conditions. "There was some chatter where people thought 15 to 20 under was going to win. And I think that got to somebody in the PGA and they did something about it! Because if the golf course stays like this and it keeps firming up, yeah, obviously it’s not going to be anything like that," he remarked.
McIlroy's Major Pursuit
Despite the setback, McIlroy remains a seven-time major winner, having defended his Masters title last month. He had to cut short his first practice round due to a toe issue but confirmed it did not affect his play. The 37-year-old will need a strong second round to avoid missing the cut and keep his hopes of a second major in 2026 alive.
