Rory McIlroy was 'Pissed Off' after PGA Championship Driver Fail Leaked
Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content.
World No. 2 Rory McIlroy finally spoke to the press for the first time in three weeks. He did so from TPC Toronto, the site of the RBC Canadian Open, and unsurprisingly, the controversy surrounding his driver at the PGA Championship dominated the conversation.
Regarding his failure to speak to reporters during any of the four days of competition at Quail Hollow, McIlroy offered various reasons, including his emotional state due to his poor performance and the late finish on Saturday.
However, he quickly got to the root of the matter.
"I was a little pissed off because I knew that Scottie's driver had failed on Monday, but my name was the one that was leaked," said McIlroy. "It was supposed to stay confidential. Two members of the media were the ones that leaked it."
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland speaks to the media following his round at the RBC Canadian Open Pro-Am at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley on June 04, 2025 in Caledon, Ontario, Canada.
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland speaks to the media following his round at the RBC Canadian Open Pro-Am at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley on June 04, 2025 in Caledon, Ontario, Canada.McIlroy cited other reasons for not speaking to the press at the time.
"I didn't want to get up there and say something that I regretted. I'm trying to protect Scottie. I don't want to mention his name. I'm trying to protect TaylorMade. I'm trying to protect the USGA, PGA of America, myself. I just didn't want to get up there and say something that I regretted at the time."
Clearly, the Northern Irishman was most bothered by the failure to ensure confidentiality of the process.
"With Scottie's stuff, that's not my information to share. I knew that that had happened, but that's not on me to share that, and I felt that process is supposed to be kept confidential, and it wasn't for whatever reason. That's why I was pretty annoyed at that."
In the days leading up to the PGA Championship, Rory McIlroy's driver was declared non-conforming by the United States Golf Association (USGA). Consequently, the five-time major champion had to use a backup driver.
"I was a little pissed off"
Rory McIlroy's full answer about skipping media at the PGA Championship and his failed driver test. pic.twitter.com/LQxCOiDo3B — Jamie Kennedy (@jamierkennedy) June 4, 2025
Multiple sources, including the PGA of America, later have explained that this is a normal process that occurs at virtually all top-level tournaments.
In fact, McIlroy's driver wasn't the only one that failed the test before the PGA Championship. Scottie Scheffler, the World No. 1, suffered the same fate, and ultimately won the tournament with a backup.
Rory McIlroy was among the heavy favorites to win at Quail Hollow, a course on which he has enjoyed much success. However, he was unable to capitalize on his mastery of the course, shooting rounds of 74, 69, 72, and 72 and finishing tied for 47th place at 3-over.
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