Rory McIlroy arrived at Aronimink wearing special shoes after revealing a ripped-off toenail and burst blister before practice Wednesday. McIlroy reportedly wore a pair of custom-fitted shoes, one size larger than normal, and a separator wedged between his right pinky toe and its neighbor, a makeshift solution to the grotesque injury that forced him off the course in a cart just 24 hours earlier.
The six-time major champion cut his Tuesday practice round to just three holes before his body said stop, raising the unnerving question of whether the Northern Irishman can walk 72 holes at this week’s PGA Championship on a foot that has been progressively falling apart since last week.
The ordeal traces back to the Truist Championship at Quail Hollow, where McIlroy limped noticeably through his final round due to a blister buried beneath the nail of his right pinky toe. The inflammation was unreachable and kept building through the week.
Rory McIlroy’s DIY Toenail and Blister Surgery
On Monday night, McIlroy decided to handle it himself. He soaked his foot in the bathtub until the tissue softened, then peeled the toenail entirely off and punctured the blister beneath it.
“I ended up ripping the toenail off last night, just because it was bothering me so much,” McIlroy said, as quoted by The Irish Independent. “I just got in the bath and got the toenail to soften up and then burst the blister that was underneath. It feels better today.”
But Tuesday showed the damage was far from resolved. On the third and fourth holes of his practice round, McIlroy repeatedly stopped to pull off his shoe and examine his foot. When he reached the fourth tee, he stripped off both shoe and sock, prodded at the raw toe while conferring with his team, then flagged down a cart and rode back to the clubhouse. ESPN‘s Paolo Uggetti reported that McIlroy even tried on a playing partner’s shoe at the fourth tee, noting he was in pain only while walking.
Inside the clubhouse, according to ESPN‘s Jeff Darlington, McIlroy worked through multiple pairs of footwear searching for anything that might spare the exposed toe from further punishment over four tournament rounds.
GettyA close-up view shows the special golf shoes worn by Rory McIlroy during practice at Aronimink after he revealed he ripped off a toenail and suffered a burst blister before the tournament.
McIlroy’s Plan to Play Through Pain at PGA Championship
Golf Channel‘s Todd Lewis reported Wednesday that McIlroy’s team settled on two measures. First, he will wear a custom-fitted shoe sized up to create space around the wound, and second, they will include a silicone separator placed between the two smallest toes to prevent friction. Those are believed to be the new shoes seen on McIlroy’s feet Wednesday morning.
“He’s going to manage it, put on a new pair of shoes that he’s been fitted for,” Lewis said, according to Golf Channel. “He said he should be comfortable, get a little bit more healing tonight. He’s not worried about that little pinky. He should be OK for the PGA Championship.”
McIlroy tees off at 8:40 a.m. Thursday for the first round alongside Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth as the No. 2 favorite to win the Wanamaker Trophy. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is listed as the favorite.
Rory McIlroy Now Wearing Special Shoes After Toenail Ripped Off, Blister Burst