McIlroy’s Struggles at Quail Hollow
Rory McIlroy’s dream of a calendar Grand Slam hit an early snag at the 2025 PGA Championship, as he carded a 3-over 74 in the first round at Quail Hollow. Sitting tied for 98th, McIlroy walked off the course without speaking to media—a rare sign of visible frustration from the recently crowned Masters champion.
But despite the slow start, history and perspective offer reasons for optimism.
Weather Woes and Mud Ball Madness
Course conditions were a major talking point on Day 1. Rainfall in Charlotte left fairways soft, and the PGA’s decision not to implement preferred lies led to “mud ball” chaos—unpredictable shots even from the middle of the fairway. World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who shot a solid 2-under 69 (T20), voiced his disapproval:
“It’s frustrating to hit the ball in the middle of the fairway and get mud on it… due to a rules decision, all of a sudden you have absolutely no control over where that golf ball goes.”
Xander Schauffele, tied for 60th at 1-over, agreed, sharing a horror story from the 16th hole where he and Scheffler both saw their approach shots veer wildly off line due to mud.
Big Names Bunched in the Middle
McIlroy isn’t the only star trailing after Day 1. Patrick Cantlay shares the same 3-over score, while Justin Thomas, Rickie Fowler, Shane Lowry, Jason Day, and Sepp Straka all finished 2-over. Even defending champion Schauffele and last week’s winner Wyndham Clark are barely inside the top 60.
Still, Jon Rahm (-1), Collin Morikawa (-1), and Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley (-3) showed flashes of form, proving that there’s still hope for movement up the board.
Perspective: The Cut Isn’t Out of Reach
The 10-shot gap between McIlroy and early leader Jhonattan Vegas (7-under) is substantial—but not insurmountable for a player of Rory’s caliber. A low round on Friday (think 5- or 6-under) could pull him back into contention or at least secure a spot for the weekend.
And as the leaderboard features several lesser-known names at the top, the nerves of major championship pressure could easily see many fall back toward the pack.
The Lesson from Tiger Woods
Tiger Woods famously shot a front-nine 40 at the 1997 Masters before roaring back to win. While McIlroy isn’t Tiger, the story reminds us how quickly fortunes can change in a four-day major.
Bottom Line
It’s far too early to count McIlroy—or many of the stars—out. The course is playing tough, conditions remain unpredictable, and major pressure has a way of reshuffling the board. As long as McIlroy makes the cut, the second act of his PGA Championship could still be one to remember.