Charlotte, N.C. — Rory McIlroy was forced to use a backup driver at the PGA Championship when the regular driver was tested and deemed non-conforming after arriving at Quail Hollow, according to a SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio report on Friday.
McIlroy was last tied for driving accuracy among the 74 players who made the cut on Friday and among the 74 players who only hit 10 fairways in two rounds. On Thursday, he only hit four of his 14 fairways. He ranked 150th out of the 156 players on the field.
The Masters champion cut the numbers after a final hole bogey as he left over the stream against the corporate tent.
For the second day in a row, McIlroy left the quail cavity and refused to speak to the media.
The USGA tested the club to ensure it was fitted according to US and Mexican tournament requests and that it was tested with Quail Hollow when asked by the US PGA. All tests are conducted before the first round.
“That programme is consistent with the same level of support we offer to the PGA Tour as part of our regular programme for driver testing,” USGA said.
The results are confidential.
Instead of referring to the USGA statement, PGA of America did not immediately respond to requests for information, such as the number of players who submitted their drivers for testing.
Tests are usually random and it is not uncommon to test before a major championship.
One such case took place in 2019 at the Royal Portrush of the British Open. Zander Schaufele was among 30 players randomly selected to ensure that drivers were tested by the R&A, which dominates golf anywhere except the US and Mexico.
Schaufele said he didn’t know his driver would not fit until he was notified, and he said he worked to find a replacement that Tuesday evening of the week. And he was furious with R&A for not keeping the matter a secret.
“I was called a con man by my fellow enemies,” Schaufele told Royal Portrush in 2019. “It’s all a joke, but when someone screams “con guy” at me in front of 200 people, it doesn’t work very well. ”
In many cases, the driver may fall outside the limit after much use. McIlroy and others keep backups in case they crack, but it can take players time to feel as comfortable with new drivers as normal drivers.
McIlroy was tied seventh last week in the Truist Championship. He left the biggest moments of his career last month when he won his Masters, wanting to be the sixth player in history in the grand slam of his career.
This report uses information from the Associated Press.