NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Rory McIlroy’s baby toe was fine, but his driver was not on Thursday at the PGA Championship. The Northern Irish golf superstar bogeyed his final four holes of the day to open with a four-over 74 at Aronimink Golf Club.
McIlroy's Driver Woes Continue
After having to cut Tuesday's practice round short due to a blister on his right foot's baby toe, the Masters champion hit the course aiming for his second consecutive major victory. However, a disastrous finish left him frustrated.
“I’m just not driving the ball well enough,” McIlroy said after his round. “It’s been a problem all year for the most part. I miss it right, then try to correct it and overdo it, missing it left. It’s a bit of back and forth, which is frustrating because I pride myself on driving the ball well.”
When asked if his toe bothered him, McIlroy flatly said, “No.”
Disappointing Finish to a Serviceable Round
McIlroy's round started steadily with a bogey and a birdie, followed by 10 consecutive pars. But a rocky finish saw him drop four strokes, leaving him well behind the early lead of three-under par.
“I just need to try to figure it out,” he said. “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. 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.”
Course Conditions and Challenges
McIlroy noted the thick rough at Aronimink as a significant challenge. “There certainly is a penalty for missing the fairway,” he said. “Probably more than what I anticipated after being here a couple of Fridays ago for a practice round.”
He also pointed to the wind as a factor in the scoring. “I wasn’t expecting it to be as windy today as it was. It’s the breezy conditions that are making the scoring what it is. It’s hard to get the ball close. Some of the pins are tucked away.”
McIlroy begins his second round at 2:05 p.m. ET on Friday, needing a strong performance to make the cut and contend.
