Golf’s newest Grand Slam champion, Rory McIlroy, was a favorite to win the PGA Championship at the Quail Hollow Club. That’s the same venue where he recorded his maiden PGA Tour title in 2010. But instead, he got caught in a controversy surrounding his equipment after he was witnessed using a different driver at Quail Hollow and not the one he utilized during his recent Masters win (TaylorMade Qi10), which we later got to know was deemed “no longer permissible” by the USGA. Then, the fact that he has not really been available to reporters this week and even declined a meeting with the press after his 3-over-par 74 on Thursday has only worsened the issue.

Additionally, his scores with his new driver have been poor. The golfer hit only four fairways on Thursday and six on Friday. But here’s what makes the whole situation even more complex. It is common for drivers to have passed inspection at one venue but not the next one. For instance, a driver may pass a manufacturer’s test but a week later, fail a USGA test. Damage to the equipment may also result in such irregularities. So it is not surprising that Sky Sports reported that as many as ten players had non-conforming drivers this week, and all of them had to make changes to their equipment; McIlroy was one of them.

Johnson Wagner, a former winner on the PGA Tour, also emphasized how it was a common issue. “This is something that happens week to week on the PGA Tour… 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.” However, while McIlroy has declined to comment on the issue, the PGA of America released a statement which 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.” Golfers are accustomed to switching driver heads several times throughout the season. The reason? Wear and tear. Cracks in the face or other damages can result in a spring-like effect (so that the ball stays in touch with the face for a longer time). Hence, the USGA and R&A have set standards for the amount of time such a spring-like effect, which is called ‘Characteristic Time’ or CT. But this also reminds us of the time Xander Schauffele faced a similar issue.

It was back in 2019. Schauffele’s driver, along with 29 others, was selected for random testing at Royal Portrush but was found to be non-compliant. So he had to use a different club, but that was not the main issue for the player. What irked him was that the R&A didn’t keep the results confidential. “It is an unsettling topic. I’ve been called a cheater by my fellow opponents,” he stated back then.

So, Schauffele, who partnered with Rory McIlroy for the first three days at Quail Hollow, understands how the golfer feels. But in the wake of this situation, what are other golfers thinking?

Former Ryder Cup Captain expresses his views on the drama surrounding Rory McIlroy!

Rory McIlroy’s TaylorMade driver was found to be non-conforming by the USGA during testing, forcing him to switch drivers ahead of the PGA Championship. McIlroy’s former Ryder Cup captain, Paul McGinley, expressed concerns over the USGA’s lack of transparency, stating, “The only comment I’ll make on it is transparency in the game… And if the USGA, as reported, have found that the driver is illegal, well put out a statement about it accordingly, and we’re all clear about it and can move on.” And well, that is exactly what is happening right now.

McGinley added, “By not doing that, and not getting ahead of the story.” This controversy surely highlights the importance of clear communication in golf’s governing bodies, with some arguing that disclosure would promote trust, while others believe it’s unnecessary. The incident has certainly sparked a debate, and it seems there is no escape for McIlroy as of now.

Of course, McIlroy had a backup ready, which was identical to his original one. However, only a golfer understands that two clubs never feel the same. Sure, it looks the same. The centers of gravity may be similar, and so could the spring-like effect. But an elite like McIlroy would instantly identify the subtleties that make both clubs different. This is a common trend among golfers.

Think about how Bobby Jones, whose clubfitter once had to work through thousands of hickory shafts to find that one club that would work for the golfer. Perhaps this might explain why McIlroy’s driving suffered so much.

So, what do you think will happen? Do you agree with McGinley? Let us know in the comment section below!