Rory McIlroy will be hoping for a trouble-free beginning to his PGA Championship campaign this week, in stark contrast to his ordeal at last year's instalment of the major. Before Scottie Scheffler went on to claim victory at Quail Hollow, the Northern Irishman had been eyeing a second successive major title following his triumph at the Masters the previous month.
Last-Minute Driver Drama
However, his build-up was thrown into disarray just two days before the tournament got underway when his regular driver was ruled to be non-conforming, compelling the now six-time major champion to make a last-minute switch to his trusted clubs. Forced to rely on a replacement driver, McIlroy was a shadow of himself at the major, carding a disappointing opening-round 74. He was never able to hit his stride, eventually finishing joint-47th in North Carolina.
Why Was the Driver Non-Conforming?
McIlroy's penalty was attributed to the worn-down carbon face of his club, which occurs when a driver has been used extensively. Following rigorous testing, it was determined that the club had been generating elevated levels of a 'Coefficient of Time' (CT). The higher the CT, the greater the ball speed off the face, and given McIlroy's reputation as one of the tour's biggest hitters, the lifespan of his clubs would naturally be shorter than most.
Support from Peers and Officials
The two-time Masters champion was reported to be among 10 players found to be using non-conforming drivers. Amid the furore, he received backing from former PGA Tour professional Johnson Wagner, who insisted McIlroy bore no responsibility for the rules breach. Speaking on PGA Championship Radio, the American said: "It's unfortunate this has happened in the week of a major and might have cost him a few shots - but he has done nothing wrong at all." Golf commentator Brandel Chamblee echoed the stance that normal wear and tear was behind the violation. He said: "It's not an indictment of the equipment company or the player, it's just a mere fact that they're right up against the edge. They've only got so many hits in them, then they either crack or they get too thin."
Kerry Haigh, Chief Championships of the PGA of America, acknowledged in a statement at the time that finding non-conforming drivers wasn't an "unusual occurrence." In the wake of the McIlroy controversy, the full statement read: "We can confirm that the USGA was invited to do club testing at the PGA Championship, at the PGA of America's request. That testing program is consistent with the same level of support that the USGA provides to the PGA Tour and other championships, as part of their regular programs for driver testing. The standard process is for about a third of the field to be randomly tested under the program. That was the case at Quail Hollow this week. Finding driver heads that have crept over the line of conformance is not an unusual occurrence, especially for clubs that are hit thousands of times over a long period of time. The results are kept confidential to protect players, who are unaware the club has fallen out of conformance and not responsible for it falling out of conformance other than hitting the club thousands of times. Players are simply asked to change heads if necessary, and all do without issue. To publicly identify players whose club did not conform can lead to that player being questioned unnecessarily. Neither the USGA nor the PGA of America have any concerns about player intent."
McIlroy's Injury Concerns This Year
A drama-free tournament appears to be something of a rarity for McIlroy, who has also been forced to field questions over a suspected injury this year. He told reporters last weekend: "Yeah, I've got a blister on my pinky toe on my right foot. But it's underneath my nail. So I can't really get to it or so it's a little sore, but I'll be alright."
