Rory McIlroy arrived at Aronimink on Sunday with a real chance to win another major championship. Three shots behind overnight leader Alex Smalley, the Northern Irishman was firmly in the hunt heading into the final round of the PGA Championship. But from the moment he stepped onto the range before his tee time, something appeared off.
McIlroy never found the rhythm that has carried him to six major titles. His driver, usually one of the most feared weapons in golf, repeatedly let him down throughout the day. Fairways were missed, approaches became difficult, and birdie opportunities were limited. Even so, he somehow managed to grind out a one-under-par 69, a score that looked far more respectable than the quality of golf he felt he produced.
Johnson Wagner noticed something unusual before Rory McIlroy teed off
Johnson Wagner, speaking during CBS’s coverage of the tournament, revealed just how unusual McIlroy’s preparation looked before the round even began.
“I was on the range for an hour before he showed up, right at an hour before his tee time,” Wagner explained. “He hit so many balls. I’ve never seen him have such a long warm-up.”
That immediately stood out to Wagner, especially when compared to Xander Schauffele’s much calmer routine.
“Xander showed up 22 minutes before his tee time,” Wagner said. “So you couldn’t have had a bigger difference in the way they went about it.”
According to Wagner, McIlroy looked deeply focused on finding answers before heading to the first tee. He repeatedly checked TrackMan numbers and compared them with the data displayed on the large T-Mobile jumbotron nearby.
“Rory seemed concerned,” Wagner added. “He was looking at TrackMan way more than I’ve ever seen him do before a round. He was looking over at the big T-Mobile Jumbotron at their numbers and comparing them with his. So something seemed off from the very beginning with Rory, but he fought hard.”
McIlroy battled through a frustrating final round at Aronimink
That fight was visible all afternoon. McIlroy rarely gave himself realistic birdie looks and often faced lengthy putts from difficult positions on Aronimink’s slick greens. Wagner noted that many of McIlroy’s putts felt like they were “coming up onto a tabletop,” requiring near-perfect speed just to avoid disaster.
The Northern Irishman’s lone bogey came at the par-4 13th after a poorly placed 5-wood left him scrambling. Aside from that mistake, he managed to hold things together despite clearly lacking confidence with the driver.
In many ways, the round became an exercise in damage control rather than a genuine charge toward the Wanamaker Trophy.
Frustration boiled over as Aaron Rai pulled away
Despite the struggles, McIlroy kept himself remarkably together until frustration finally boiled over during a verbal altercation with a fan, leading to the spectator being removed from the property. It summed up a tense and uncomfortable day for the world star.
Meanwhile, Aaron Rai surged clear of the field to capture the Wanamaker Trophy, leaving McIlroy once again wondering what might have been. The warning signs, however, may have been visible long before the opening tee shot. Players who are completely comfortable with their swing rarely spend excessive time searching for answers on the range.
McIlroy clearly knew he did not have his best game heading into the final round. Given that reality, a closing 69 may actually have been one of the more impressive rounds of his week.
