CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Masters champion Rory McIlroy’s driver was not the only one that the American Golf Association declared a non-conformance to the Test prior to this week’s PGA Championship at the Quazlo Hollow Club.
World No. 1 golfer Scotty Schaeffler confirmed on Sunday that USGA could not score a driver before winning the third major in a five-stroke victory over Harris English, Bryson Deccanbeau and Davis Riley.
“Testing drivers is something that happens regularly on tours,” Schaeffler said. “My driver failed me this week. We’ve been using that driver for over a year and I felt it was coming.
According to a report from the SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio on Friday, McIlroy completed his career grand slam by winning the Green Jacket at the Masters in April, was also one of the golfers whose driver was declared non-conforming by the USGA.
McIlroy, who finished 47th in the PGA Championship with 3, left Quailroy on Sunday without speaking to reporters for the fourth day in a row.
He tied 43rd in driving accuracy among the 74 players who made Sunday’s cuts and among the 74 players who hit seven of the 14 fairways. In the first round, he hit only four of his 14 fairways.
PGA of America said in a statement it has requested USGA’s behavioral driver testing at Quail Hollow.
“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.
Driver testing focuses on, among other things, the “characteristic time” of the club’s face, or its spring-like effects. The driver’s face tends to be “creep” or thinner the more golfers use it, giving it even more spring.
The results of the test are confidential.
Schaeffler struggled to hit the fairway with nine drivers on Sunday. He said his new driver wasn’t an issue – it was his swing. He hit 13 of 14 fairways in the third round, along with the new Taylormade driver.
“I argue that when testing drivers, the way they test them needs to be even more robust,” Schaeffler said. “It was a conversation with one of the rules guys, and if that was what we were trying to take seriously, I feel we were on the way right now.
“If you’re testing only a third of the field. Just like the rest of the rules of the golf game, leave it to us as players if you do that right.”
Two-time major champion Xander Schauffele agreed that drivers across the field should be tested.
“I think they should test everyone’s drivers,” he told Golf Week on Sunday. “It’s not right to just test 50 people. If you’re doing it for the spirit of the game, that doesn’t make sense. The whole point of that is to protect the integrity of the field.