PGA Championship news: Rory McIlroy slides in first major round since Masters

McIlroy hit just four of the 14 fairways at Quail Hollow, which put him on the wrong path on almost every hole. His highlight was a scrambling birdie on the tenth hole, which he played first. The lowlight for McIlroy and his entire group was the 16th hole. Scottie Scheffler, Xander Schauffele, and McIlroy all made double bogeys, knocking their rounds off track.

The PGA Championship this year is at Quail Hollow, which hosts an annual PGA Tour event. Previously known as the Wells Fargo Championship, McIlroy is a four-time winner and picked up the win last year. But with slightly thicker rough and the major championship pressure, McIlroy folded.

This was the story of McIlroy in majors for a decade before last month in Augusta. The PGA Championship did provide two big wins for him, but also provided some brutal performances when chasing the long-elusive fifth title. His first round 72 at Bethpage Black in 2019 cost him a chance there, as did a 71 in 2023 at Oak Hill.

McIlroy is the only player with a chance to win the Grand Slam in 2025. He completed the career Grand Slam in April, but a calendar slam has not been done in the modern era. This round makes it much less likely that he pulls off the unfathomable feat. McIlroy, Scheffler, and the defending champion Schauffele tee off at 1:47 p.m. on Friday, and they will all be looking for a better round.