Rory McIlroy had to switch out his driver ahead of the PGA Championship.
McIlroy’s regular driver was tested and deemed to be nonconforming after he arrived at Quail Hollow earlier this week ahead of the second major championship of the year, according to Sirius XM PGA Tour Radio’s Jason Sobel.
As just reported by our team on @SiriusXMPGATOUR:
— Jason Sobel (@JasonSobelGolf) May 16, 2025
Rory McIlroy’s “gamer” driver was deemed non-conforming by the USGA on Tuesday. He switched drivers prior to yesterday’s opening round.
Further specifics on McIlroy’s driver or why it was deemed nonconforming are not yet known.
The issue, though, is a common one on the PGA Tour. Clubs fail these tests, which are conducted regularly by the USGA at Tour events, each week throughout the season for a number of reasons. Drivers often fail simply due to extended use, as club faces can shift or break over time.
For example, Xander Schauffele’s driver was deemed ineligible by the R&A ahead of the British Open in 2019, and he had to scramble for a replacement at the last minute. All testing by the USGA, however, is confidential. McIlroy has yet to address reporters since play started.
McIlroy just barely made the cut this week in North Carolina. He opened with a 3-over 74 on Thursday, and then he nearly blew it with back-to-back bogeys to end his round on Friday. McIlroy finished at 1-over, though, and made the cut on the number. McIlroy has struggled off the tee, and holds a driving accuracy of less than 36%. Only one golfer, Andre Chi, has been worse off the tee.
McIlroy — who trails leader Jhonattan Vegas by 10 shots at the midway point of the tournament — will go off with Schauffele early on Saturday morning.
