Rory McIlroy’s opening round at the PGA Championship was marred by wayward driving, leaving him visibly frustrated. The reigning Masters champion now faces an uphill battle to contend after shooting a 4-over 74.
Driver Disappears on Day One
McIlroy’s struggles began early, with his tee shot on the 10th hole missing right of the fairway. He drew a horrible lie and could only advance it 70 yards, leading to a bogey. This set the tone for a day of errant drives and missed opportunities.
McIlroy missed right on the fourth, and slammed his driver. He also missed right on the sixth, seventh and ninth holes and bogeyed all of them. McIlroy’s frustration was evident as his driver became a liability, a stark contrast to his usual strength off the tee.
Frustration Mounting for McIlroy
“I’m just not driving the ball well enough,” McIlroy said. “It’s been a problem all year for the most part. Yeah, I’ve sort of got, like I miss it right, and then I want to try to correct it. And then I’ll overdo it, and I’ll miss it left. It’s a bit of back-and-forth that way. So that’s pretty frustrating, especially when like, I pride myself on driving the ball well.”
Despite leading the PGA TOUR in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee this season, McIlroy was well below average in that category on Thursday. His misses often landed on the wrong sides of the fairway, hindering his ability to approach the greens effectively.
Déjà Vu for McIlroy
McIlroy acknowledged similarities between Thursday’s round and his first round at Quail Hollow last year. He shot 74 in the opening round at Quail Hollow last year, en route to an uncompetitive T47 finish. He cited the frustration as being similar between the two rounds.
- McIlroy shot 4-over 74.
- He hit only five fairways.
- He missed right on multiple holes.
McIlroy’s performance at the PGA Championship has suffered since the tournament’s move to May. Sinc