Defending 2026 Masters champion Rory McIlroy did not have the start he was expecting at the 2026 PGA Championship. But his campaign at Aronimink Golf Club took an early hit as late mistakes and missed fairways pushed him far behind the projected cut line.

“S***,” that's how the six-time major winner described his game at the PGA Championship on Thursday during the media interaction after carding a 4-over 74, shared via Sky Sports Golf on X.

McIlroy started on the back nine alongside Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth and spent most of the round trying to recover from struggles off the tee. 

Despite managing to fight back to even par through 14 holes, including a birdie at the par-3 fifth, his round fell apart late with four consecutive bogeys, finishing at 4-over 74.

The Northern Irishman missed each of his final six fairways and repeatedly found trouble in the rough during the closing stretch. 

“I started missing fairways. I missed the fairway right on 4, the fairway right on 6, the fairway right on 7, fairway right on 9. From there, it's hard -- you know, I didn't have great angles either. Then obviously you start missing it just off the edges of these greens, it gets tricky,” said Rory McIlroy.

The difficult finish dropped him outside the projected cut line and marked the first time in his PGA Tour career that he ended a round with four straight bogeys.

“Yeah, I felt like I did okay. I made that birdie on 5 to get back to even-par after the soft bogey on 4, then I just got on that bogey train at the end,” added the 37-year-old.

Having previously won the PGA Championship twice, in 2012 and 2014, McIlroy is no stranger to the brutal courses and cuts it brings. He ended his 2025 run with a T47 finish.

Rory McIlroy compares current struggles to last year’s PGA Championship frustration

When asked to compare his frustration level to last year’s opening round at the PGA Championship, McIlroy said:

“I can't really remember. I was frustrated because my driver failed the test. I sort of had to get into a backup pretty quickly, and that sort of threw me for a loop a little bit."

Hitting the fairways off the tee box seemed to be a challenge for the 30-time PGA Tour winner this time around, making him question his driver.

"I'd say a similar sense of frustration. I'm just, yeah, not driving the ball well enough to give myself enough scoring opportunities,” said McIlroy.

Rory McIlroy came into the PGA Championship after winning his second straight Masters title earlier this year, but his preparation for the week was not smooth.

McIlroy had to stop his Tuesday practice round after three holes because of a blister on his right pinky toe.

While he said the issue did not trouble him during Thursday’s round, his driving struggles created problems throughout the day and now leave him needing a strong second round to make the cut.

Do you think Rory McIlroy can recover in Round 2 and keep his PGA Championship hopes alive? Let us know in the comments.

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Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Surjo Ray