Rory McIlroy’s Driver Drama Deepens Ahead of US Open
Golf can be unforgiving, but facing equipment issues just days before a major championship is particularly brutal. With the US Open at Oakmont fast approaching, Rory McIlroy’s recent struggles have turned into a full-blown crisis. On Friday at the RBC Canadian Open, McIlroy’s round ended with a painful 8-over 78—his worst score on the PGA Tour, resulting in a missed cut and raising serious concerns about his game.
Speaking candidly after the round, McIlroy acknowledged the gravity of the situation. “Of course it concerns me. You don’t want to shoot scores like that,” he admitted. His performance included one quadruple bogey, a double bogey, eight bogeys, and five birdies, underscoring a tournament plagued by inconsistency. The main culprit? His driver.
McIlroy had entered the event with a new TaylorMade Qi35 driver, expecting it to resolve some of his off-the-tee challenges. However, the experiment backfired. He explained his decision to switch to a shorter 44-inch driver for better control, hoping it would keep more shots in play. Unfortunately, it didn’t deliver the results he was after. “If I’m going to miss fairways, I’d rather have the ball speed,” he noted, frustrated by the outcome.
“I think there’s still learnings that you have to take from a day like today.”
Rory reflects on missing his first cut since @TheOpen in 2024. pic.twitter.com/R7WEo8achO
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 6, 2025
Statistics told the story clearly: McIlroy lost over 2.2 strokes off the tee during the tournament, hitting just 13 of 28 fairways. A catastrophic quadruple-bogey 8 on the fifth hole Friday encapsulated his driving woes.
This wasn’t the first time this year McIlroy had problems after switching drivers. “This is the second time this year I’ve tried the new version, and it hasn’t worked out,” he told his caddie Harry. The repetition of issues hints at a larger problem that goes beyond just getting used to new gear.
Looking ahead, McIlroy is especially concerned about Oakmont. “What you need to do more than anything else there is hit fairways,” he emphasized. The historic course demands accuracy, and right now, McIlroy’s driving remains unreliable. “Still sort of searching for the missing piece off the tee,” he admitted. “When I get that part right, everything else follows. But it’s not happening right now.”
With only a few days left before the US Open, McIlroy is scrambling for answers. He plans to test multiple drivers over the weekend in hopes of finding something that works in time.
These current struggles have deeper roots, tracing back to a major equipment controversy at last month’s PGA Championship. McIlroy’s go-to TaylorMade Qi10 driver was ruled non-conforming by the USGA due to “driver creep,” a condition caused by prolonged use that alters the clubface’s performance.
The sudden disqualification of his driver shattered his confidence. During that event, McIlroy hit only four fairways in the first round and managed just 10 of 28 across both rounds. He finished tied for 47th—a major underperformance.
To make matters worse, news of his equipment violation leaked to the media, while similar issues faced by Scottie Scheffler remained confidential. This breach of trust added emotional weight to an already tough situation.
McIlroy’s frantic driver testing this weekend underscores a broader challenge in modern golf: the tension between advancing technology and strict regulations. Players spend months getting comfortable with their tools, and last-minute changes can severely disrupt their game.
Now, with Oakmont looming, the clock is ticking. McIlroy needs a breakthrough—and fast.