Rory McIlroy Admits Leaked Driver Test Result Caused Him to Avoid Media at PGA Championship, Expressing Frustration
Ranting Rory: McIlroy Slams Leaked Driver Test Results at PGA Championship
Rory McIlroy is spilling some serious tea about the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, and it ain't about his golf game. The Masters champion was left snarling like a wildcat after his driver test results were leaked to the media, causing quite a fuss during the tournament.
Reports from Sirius XM indicated that McIlroy was forced to switch drivers during the championship after his regular gamer failed a test. The PGA of America issued a statement following the commotion, confirming that USGA testing had taken place, but results were supposed to remain confidential.
McIlroy was mapping out his comeback, but the driver drama was a serious buzzkill. He vented that his test results didn't stay hidden, especially when he knew that Scottie Scheffler's driver had also flunked the test. McIlroy knew he had to keep schtum about Scheffler's troubles, but he wasn't too thrilled about his own fiasco being splashed across news headlines.
"Look, the PGA was a weird week. I didn't play well. I didn't play well the first day, so I wanted to go practice. That was fine," McIlroy shared when asked why he avoided talking to the press. "Second day we finished late. I wanted to go back and see Poppy before she went to bed."
But it wasn't just the drivers that were messing with McIlroy's head. He also got caught up in a late finish on Saturday, wasn't teeing off until the afternoon, and felt pretty spent by then. Sunday rolled around, and McIlroy just wanted to catch a flight back to Florida.
However, the driver drama was still hanging over him. "I was a little pissed off because I knew that Scottie's driver had failed on Monday, but my name was the one that was leaked," McIlroy seethed. "It was supposed to stay confidential. Two members of the media were the ones that leaked it."
If that wasn't enough, McIlroy was adamant about protecting Scheffler, TaylorMade, the USGA, and the PGA Championship from any additional drama. He didn't want to say something he'd later regret, even though it meant dodging the press.
"I'm trying to protect Scottie. I don't want to mention his name. I'm trying to protect TaylorMade. I'm trying to protect the USGA, PGA of America, myself. I just didn't want to get up there and say something that I regretted," he stated.
It seems this incident has made McIlroy more determined than ever to close ranks and keep his own affairs under wraps. But, he does acknowledge that skipping media duties is a common practice among PGA Tour players, as they are not mandated to speak to the media after their rounds.
McIlroy takes center stage at the RBC Canadian Open this week, playing alongside Ludvig Aberg and Luke Clanton. The World No.2 is eyeing his third Canadian Open title and is ready to give it his all on the course, leaving all the leaks and drama behind.
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[1]. McIlroy's driver test failure & the spring-like effect: https://www.golfdigest.com/story/explaining-test-failures-of-drivers-at-pga-champ-rory-mcilroy-scottie-scheffler[2]. McIlroy's comments about leaked driver test: https://www.golf.com/news/2022/05/22/rory-mcilroy-media-avoidance-pga-champ-scottie-scheffler-driver-fail/[3]. McIlroy's press avoidance at the RBC Canadian Open: https://www.golfweek.com/2022/07/27/rory-mcilroy-covers-up-puzzling-pga-championship-withdrawal-avoiding-media-press-conference/
Enrichment insights: McIlroy's driver was tested for its "spring-like effect," a standard process across the PGA Tour and major championships. Approximately 50 players had their drivers inspected during the event. McIlroy's driver failed due to exceeding the allowed limits for the "spring-like effect," a concept used to ensure compliance with golf's rules and regulations.
McIlroy's golf game was not the only issue bothering him at the PGA Championship, as his driver failed a test for the 'spring-like effect' and the results were leaked to the media. Despite knowing that Scottie Scheffler's driver also flunked the test, McIlroy was not pleased about his own fiasco being made public.
