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BBC News
5 days ago
- General
- BBC News
McIlroy 'annoyed' by driver story 'leak' at US PGA
Rory McIlroy says professional golfers are "well within our rights" to skip media duties as he admitted he was left "annoyed" by a story regarding his equipment at last month's US PGA Championship. The Masters champion said a combination of tiredness, poor play and reports of his driver failing a legality test contributed to his decision not to speak to reporters after each of his four rounds at the year's second major. After winning at Quail Hollow Scottie Scheffler revealed his driver had also been deemed non-conforming in pre-tournament tests carried out by the United States Golf Association (USGA), but McIlroy was unimpressed that his name - and not the American's - was reported by the media during the Northern Irishman's second round. "It was supposed to stay confidential," said McIlroy, speaking to reporters for the first time since that event at this week's Canadian Open. "Two members of the media were the ones that leaked it. I didn't want to get up there and say something that I regretted either because there's a lot of people that I'm trying to protect: Scottie, I don't want to mention his name, I'm trying to protect TaylorMade [the manufacturer], the USGA, the PGA of America, myself. The five-time major winner added: "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. "That process is supposed to be kept confidential and it wasn't for whatever reason so that's why I was pretty annoyed at that." McIlroy said that the relationship between players and the media is a "two-way street", adding that players will continue to turn down requests to speak as long as it is not mandatory. "From a responsibility standpoint, I understand, but if we all wanted to, we could all bypass you guys and we could just go on this [our phones] and go on social media and we could talk about our round and do it our own way," said the 36-year-old."We understand that's not ideal for you guys and there's a bigger dynamic at play here. I talk to the media a lot and I think there should be an understanding that this is a two-way street. "We understand the benefit that comes from you being here and giving us the platform."But I've been beating this drum for a long time. If they [golf officials] want to make it mandatory [to speak to the media] that's fine, but in our rules it says it's not and until the day when it's maybe written into regulations, you're going to have guys skip from time to time and that's well within our rights."
Yahoo
18-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Scottie Scheffler bursts clear of US PGA third-round field at Quail Hollow
Majors are often won as Saturday shadows lengthen. It feels as if we have again witnessed precisely that. Quail Hollow's devilish last three holes, the Green Mile, can ruin tournament aspirations. Scottie Scheffler decided to play that stretch in two under par. The world No 1 had already produced an outrageous eagle at the 14th and birdied the next. Five holes, five under. Catch him if you can. Scheffler's 65 and 11-under-par total means this US PGA Championship is suddenly his to lose. He leads Alex Norán by three in Charlotte. Daylight, such valuable daylight to a player of Scheffler's strength. It is almost as if he has making up to do; a year ago, his US PGA plan was disrupted by an arrest outside the gates of Valhalla. This is far more familiar stuff. History is on Scheffler's side. On the previous two occasions he has held 54-hole major leads, both at Augusta National, he has won. There feels inevitability about what comes next. Norén has never won a major before. Neither have JT Poston, Kim Si-woo or Jhonattan Vegas. Jon Rahm is six under and not without hope or motivation. Including, that is, in proving his switch to LIV Golf has not undermined his major chances. The odds of toppling Scheffler in this mood, though, are long. 'It is hard to express how hungry I may be for a major,' Rahm said. 'About as hungry as anybody can be in this situation. 'Me going to LIV and playing worse in majors had nothing to do with where I was playing golf. My swing was simply not at the level it had to be for me to compete. It's easier to post a score on non-major championship courses and venues, and I think when you get to the biggest stages like this one and these courses, those flaws are going to get exposed. 'There's been weeks where I was able to play better, like the Open last year. The Masters wasn't a good start but it got better as the week was on and I'm still working and trying to get my swing to a better spot. 'I would say even in 2023, after winning the Masters, I did not play good at all until the Ryder Cup. So I think the problems began earlier than people think. But I'm now getting closer to a position of being comfortable. I think this week so far and this round has been a show of it.' As Rahm spoke, Scheffler was pressing upon the accelerator. This was his 25th major round in the 60s since 2022. These three in a row – 69, 68, 65 – will scare the field. And yet, Scheffler was merely one under for his day on the 14th tee. There, he cracked a three-wood from 304 yards to within 3ft of the cup. It was the moment of this slow burning major. 'I battled hard out there, it was really tough today,' Scheffler said. 'The winds were really gusting, the greens firmed up but I did a good job of staying patient. I struck the ball a lot better than in the first couple of rounds. 'I wanted to finish off the round the right way. I was able to find some momentum there. I need more good golf, I need to stay in the present. I have a lot of very good players chasing me on the leaderboard.' Rahm's fellow LIV man Bryson DeChambeau is a shot further back, a situation that would be even better but for a horrible finish. DeChambeau three-putted the 16th and found water on 17. When asked about his level of frustration, he replied: 'That's why golf is the worst four-letter word in the world.' DeChambeau at one point held the lead. His 69 represented poor return. Related: US PGA Championship golf 2025: day three – as it happened Keegan Bradley, the US Ryder Cup captain, has matched DeChambeau's total. There may yet be a serious conversation to be had over whether Bradley should play or direct operations at Bethpage later this year. Rory McIlroy's 72 means he is playing for a place at two over. The Northern Irishman can already turn attentions towards next month's US Open, when the noise associated with Masters glory will have quietened down somewhat. Those to make round three headway included Matt Wallace and Adam Scott. Matt Fitzpatrick is in the five-under group after a 72.
The Guardian
18-05-2025
- Sport
- The Guardian
Scottie Scheffler bursts clear of US PGA third-round field at Quail Hollow
Majors are often won as Saturday shadows lengthen. It feels as if we have again witnessed precisely that. Quail Hollow's devilish last three holes, the Green Mile, can ruin tournament aspirations. Scottie Scheffler decided to play that stretch in two under par. The world No 1 had already produced an outrageous eagle at the 14th and birdied the next. Five holes, five under. Catch him if you can. Scheffler's 65 and 11-under-par total means this US PGA Championship is suddenly his to lose. He leads Alex Norán by three in Charlotte. Daylight, such valuable daylight to a player of Scheffler's strength. It is almost as if he has making up to do; a year ago, his US PGA plan was disrupted by an arrest outside the gates of Valhalla. This is far more familiar stuff. History is on Scheffler's side. On the previous two occasions he has held 54-hole major leads, both at Augusta National, he has won. There feels inevitability about what comes next. Norén has never won a major before. Neither have JT Poston, Kim Si-woo or Jhonattan Vegas. Jon Rahm is six under and not without hope or motivation. Including, that is, in proving his switch to LIV Golf has not undermined his major chances. The odds of toppling Scheffler in this mood, though, are long. 'It is hard to express how hungry I may be for a major,' Rahm said. 'About as hungry as anybody can be in this situation. 'Me going to LIV and playing worse in majors had nothing to do with where I was playing golf. My swing was simply not at the level it had to be for me to compete. It's easier to post a score on non-major championship courses and venues, and I think when you get to the biggest stages like this one and these courses, those flaws are going to get exposed. 'There's been weeks where I was able to play better, like the Open last year. The Masters wasn't a good start but it got better as the week was on and I'm still working and trying to get my swing to a better spot. 'I would say even in 2023, after winning the Masters, I did not play good at all until the Ryder Cup. So I think the problems began earlier than people think. But I'm now getting closer to a position of being comfortable. I think this week so far and this round has been a show of it.' As Rahm spoke, Scheffler was pressing upon the accelerator. This was his 25th major round in the 60s since 2022. These three in a row – 69, 68, 65 – will scare the field. And yet, Scheffler was merely one under for his day on the 14th tee. There, he cracked a three-wood from 304 yards to within 3ft of the cup. It was the moment of this slow burning major. 'I battled hard out there, it was really tough today,' Scheffler said. 'The winds were really gusting, the greens firmed up but I did a good job of staying patient. I struck the ball a lot better than in the first couple of rounds. Sign up to The Recap The best of our sports journalism from the past seven days and a heads-up on the weekend's action after newsletter promotion 'I wanted to finish off the round the right way. I was able to find some momentum there. I need more good golf, I need to stay in the present. I have a lot of very good players chasing me on the leaderboard.' Rahm's fellow LIV man Bryson DeChambeau is a shot further back, a situation that would be even better but for a horrible finish. DeChambeau three-putted the 16th and found water on 17. When asked about his level of frustration, he replied: 'That's why golf is the worst four-letter word in the world.' DeChambeau at one point held the lead. His 69 represented poor return. Keegan Bradley, the US Ryder Cup captain, has matched DeChambeau's total. There may yet be a serious conversation to be had over whether Bradley should play or direct operations at Bethpage later this year. Rory McIlroy's 72 means he is playing for a place at two over. The Northern Irishman can already turn attentions towards next month's US Open, when the noise associated with Masters glory will have quietened down somewhat. Those to make round three headway included Matt Wallace and Adam Scott. Matt Fitzpatrick is in the five-under group after a 72.
The Independent
15-05-2025
- Sport
- The Independent
Rory McIlroy off the pace after wayward first round at US PGA Championship
Masters champion Rory McIlroy faces an uphill battle to claim back-to-back major titles after an error-strewn opening round in the 107th US PGA Championship. McIlroy struggled to a three-over-par 74 to trail clubhouse leaders Luke Donald, Ryan Fox, Alex Smalley and Stephan Jaeger by seven shots, with England's Matt Fitzpatrick and Scotland's Robert MacIntyre on three under. McIlroy's play-off victory over Justin Rose at Augusta National in April had made him just the sixth male golfer to complete a career grand slam and gave him a fifth major title, one behind Sir Nick Faldo. The world number two was also strongly fancied to equal Faldo's tally at the first opportunity at Quail Hollow, a venue where he won his first PGA Tour title in 2010 and has since claimed three more victories, including last year. However, McIlroy hit just three fairways in regulation and was fortunate not to find the water with a number of pulled tee shots in an unexpectedly poor display. McIlroy was among the early starters from the 10th tee in Thursday's first round and despite missing the fairway and green on the downhill par five, he holed from 10 feet for birdie after a well-judged pitch. That shot was immediately given back on the next with a disappointing three-putt and McIlroy had to save par on the 12th with a deft chip after his approach span back off the side of the green. McIlroy was unable to find the green on the reachable par-four 14th and although he hit a good pitch to four feet, he could not convert the birdie attempt. Another wayward drive on the par-five 15th stopped just a few feet from the water and McIlroy was able to hit a seven iron just short of the green, from where he two-putted for birdie. But after pulling another tee shot on the 16th, McIlroy's back foot slipped as he tried to pitch the ball back into play and he missed the green with his approach on his way to a double bogey. Playing partners Xander Schauffele and Scottie Scheffler, the defending champion and world number one, also made six after pulling their approaches into the water as the first hole of the so-called 'Green Mile' closing stretch claimed three high-profile victims. McIlroy almost chipped in for birdie on the 17th before yet another pulled tee shot on the 18th stopped just short of the creek which runs the length of the hole, from where he was able to find the putting surface and make par. Even when McIlroy found a fairway, as he did on the first, he hit his second shot into a greenside bunker and failed to get up and down, a disappointing round fizzling out with seven straight pars and another bogey on the ninth. In contrast, Donald had compiled a bogey-free 67 to join Fox and Smalley in the clubhouse lead, Fox only securing his place in the field on Sunday by winning his first PGA Tour title in Myrtle Beach. Smalley was an even later entrant, getting in as first alternate on Wednesday afternoon when Sahith Theegala withdrew due to injury. Scheffler finished with a birdie to record a battling 69, with Schauffele carding a 72.
