Rory McIlroy’s preparation for the PGA Championship took an uneasy turn Tuesday when he cut short his practice round at Aronimink after only three holes. McIlroy has been dealing with a blister on the pinky toe of his right foot since Friday of the Truist Championship week. Though he claimed that it won’t be a bother on Sunday, it seems that the blister is still hampering his play.
“Rory is pausing his practice round after three holes. He took off his shoe a few times, looking at his right foot over the last few holes,” Paolo Uggetti of ESPN reported.
McIlroy said after last week’s Truist Championship that the blister sat underneath the nail on that toe, making it hard to treat directly. He downplayed the injury at the time, saying it was sore but manageable and insisted it was not the reason for any poor play.
“Rory McIlroy took shoe off in the 3rd fairway, finished the hole, took shoe off again on the 4th tee before going in. I’m told he’s in the clubhouse now, trying different shoes.” Jeff Darlington of ESPN wrote.
Rory McIlroy is Trying on New Shoes
GettyRory McIlroy looks at his foot on the fourth tee during a practice round before the PGA Championship.
CBS Sports reported that McIlroy eventually used a golf cart to leave the course after the brief practice session. McIlroy was seen smiling and waving to fans on the cart, which suggested the move was about managing discomfort rather than signaling a major setback.
“On the 4th tee, he literally tried on another person’s shoe. Said he wasn’t bothered by it while just standing,” Uggetti added. “He also seemed to indicate that another pair of shoes may be on their way.”
McIlroy had already planned lighter practice loads this week, but Tuesday’s round was reduced even further. He anticipated that some rest at home after Sunday would fix the problem, but it seems that did not happen.
“Members of Rory McIlroy’s team were seen walking into the clubhouse with boxes of golf shoes, presumably to test, per Kira K. Dixon of NBC.
A Tough Week Ahead for Rory McIlroy?
GettyRory McIlroy leaves the fourth tee in a cart during a practice round before the PGA Championship.
McIlroy is done for the day at Aronimink. It appears the blister issue may now require some medical attention. But that does not inherently mean he is headed for a bad week. Even with the blister, McIlroy performed well during the final round at Quail Hollow. He made six birdies that day and finished 4-under for the round. A fresh set of shoes and some rest might solve the issue.
Another problem McIlroy dealt with last week was aiming his shots slightly left because of the wind blowing from that direction. He faced a similar issue just before the Masters as well. But, judging by the result, there is little doubt he managed it effectively.
“Hitting balls the last five or six days in that left-to-right wind on the range, I just started to miss some left on the course,” he said on Sunday. “So I was trying to figure it out a little bit on the range last night, which I felt like I did and I hit the ball much better today.”
For now, McIlroy’s status for Thursday’s first round is uncertain. He is scheduled to play with Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth, teeing off at 8:40 a.m. ET.
Concerning Rory McIlroy News Emerges on Tuesday