Report: Rory driver ruled nonconforming at PGA

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Rory McIlroy was forced to usage a backup operator successful the PGA Championship erstwhile his regular operator was tested and deemed to beryllium nonconforming aft helium arrived astatine Quail Hollow, according to a study connected SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio connected Friday.

McIlroy was tied for past successful driving accuracy among the 74 players who made the chopped connected Friday, hitting lone 10 fairways successful 2 rounds. On Thursday, helium deed conscionable 4 of 14 fairways, tied for 150th among the 156 players successful the field.

The Masters champion made the chopped connected the fig aft a bogey connected the last spread erstwhile helium drove near beyond a creek against firm tents.

For the 2nd consecutive day, McIlroy near Quail Hollow and declined to talk to the media.

The USGA, which tests clubs to marque definite they are conforming astatine the petition of the tournaments successful the U.S. and Mexico, confirmed the USGA did investigating astatine Quail Hollow erstwhile asked by the PGA of America. All tests are done earlier the archetypal round.

"That programme is accordant with the aforesaid level of enactment that we supply to the PGA Tour arsenic portion of their regular programme for operator testing," the USGA said.

Results are confidential.

The PGA of America did not instantly respond to a petition for specified accusation arsenic however galore players submitted drivers for testing, alternatively referring to the USGA statement.

The tests typically are random, and it is not antithetic for investigating up of large championships.

One specified lawsuit was successful 2019 astatine Royal Portrush for the British Open, erstwhile Xander Schauffele was among 30 players randomly selected to person his operator tested by the R&A, which governs play everyplace but the U.S. and Mexico.

Schauffele said helium wasn't alert his operator didn't conform until notified, and past worked into Tuesday evening that week to find a replacement. And helium was furious with the R&A for not keeping the substance confidential.

"I've been called a cheater by my chap opponents," Schauffele said successful 2019 astatine Royal Portrush. "It's each joking, but erstwhile idiosyncratic yells 'Cheater' successful beforehand of 200 radical to me, it's not going down precise well."

Drivers often tin autumn extracurricular the limits aft a batch of use. While McIlroy and others support backups with them successful lawsuit they crack, it tin instrumentality clip for them to consciousness arsenic comfy with it arsenic their regular drivers.

McIlroy tied for seventh past week astatine the Truist Championship. He is coming disconnected the top infinitesimal of his vocation past period erstwhile helium won the Masters connected his 17th effort to go lone the sixth subordinate successful past with the vocation Grand Slam.

Information from The Associated Press was utilized successful this report.