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Rory McIlroy Forced to Make Major Change at PGA Championship

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Sahil Goswami | Last updated May 17, 2025 7:30 AM ET

The 2025 PGA Championship has already delivered a dramatic mix of surprises, with Ryan Gerard, Cam Davis, and Jhonattan Vegas sharing early headlines. Vegas charged into the lead with a birdie-birdie-birdie finish, while former world No. 1 Luke Donald rolled back the years with a stunning 67. But amid all the twists, all eyes remained on Rory McIlroy, who finds himself nine shots off the lead going into the weekend.

McIlroy opened his campaign at Quail Hollow with a disappointing three-over-par 74. Despite beginning with a birdie on his first hole, the par-five 10th, the Northern Irishman struggled to find rhythm. He hit just four of 14 fairways and recorded 31 putts, figures far from his usual standard. His round included a rare double bogey on the 16th, his first at Quail Hollow since 2010.

What made matters worse was a sudden issue with his driver. According to SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio, the USGA deemed McIlroy’s trusted “gamer” driver non-conforming just before the opening round. He was forced to switch clubs at the last minute, a major change for any golfer, let alone one chasing a career grand slam.

While he didn’t seem despondent, his decision to immediately head to the range post-round revealed his mindset: “The Masters champion needs to rediscover his mojo with driver in hand.”

❌ #NEWS — Rory McIlroy’s TaylorMade driver was deemed ‘non-conforming’ on Tuesday after he was selected for testing by the USGA on the range. This prompted him to switch to a backup. (First to report: @SiriusXMPGATOUR) pic.twitter.com/Ig9jayxoFz
— NUCLR GOLF (@NUCLRGOLF) May 16, 2025

McIlroy has a history of dramatic comebacks at Quail Hollow. In 2010, he overcame a nine-shot deficit after barely making the cut, going on to win his first PGA Tour title. With a similar margin now, fans are left wondering, could lightning strike twice?

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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