Rory McIlroy’s Form Slumps Amid Driver Drama and Missed Cuts
Rory McIlroy’s recent performance at the PGA Championship has drawn heavy criticism, marking another chapter in a troubling slump for the golf superstar. His game off the tee was especially poor—he missed 30 out of 56 fairways, ranking near the bottom in that metric. Things weren’t much better with his irons, as he placed 65th in Strokes Gained: Approach and 69th in proximity to the hole. While his short game held up relatively well, it couldn’t make up for the damage done by his erratic driving.
To complicate matters, controversy erupted when reports suggested McIlroy’s driver might not meet equipment standards. The USGA confirmed it conducted testing at the PGA of America’s request, raising eyebrows across the golf world. McIlroy’s camp chose to stay silent, further fueling speculation. Adding to the criticism, he opted out of media duties for all four days of the tournament, prompting backlash from commentators who noted that other players often face harsh scrutiny for similar decisions.
Oh dear… 🤦♂️☃️ #rory #rbccanadianopen pic.twitter.com/4NgITrrepj
— Nosferatu (@VC606) June 6, 2025
Rather than bouncing back quickly, McIlroy’s woes have followed him to the RBC Canadian Open. Currently tied for 146th with a score of +4, he appears to be struggling once again. The $9.5 million tournament is quickly turning into another disappointment, and many analysts predict he’ll miss the cut.
Still, McIlroy attempted to strike an optimistic tone in post-round comments: “I actually felt like I played OK. It was my first outing with a new driver, and I felt like that went pretty well. I hit some good iron shots, missed a couple of greens and didn’t get them up and down, especially those last couple holes. Overall, I’m pretty happy with how I played. I need to go a little bit lower [on Friday] and over the weekend to have a chance.”
Across social media and golf circles, concern is growing. Some fans voiced sympathy, while others were more blunt, with one writing: “Miss cut this week and definitely more this season. Completely washed.” The scrutiny is sharper because McIlroy is fresh off winning the 2025 Masters—raising expectations that he’d rediscover his best form.
However, missing the cut this week would mark a rare slump for McIlroy. He last failed to make a cut at the 2024 Open Championship, which ended a streak of five years without an early exit. At Royal Troon, he carded rounds of 78 and 75, finishing 11-over-par—five strokes below the cutline. Reflecting on that collapse, he admitted, “I think once I made the eight on the fourth hole, that was it… I mean, I knew from then I’d sort of resigned myself to the fact that I wasn’t going to shoot four or five-under-par.”
Beyond his golf game, McIlroy also faced criticism for his media silence at the PGA Championship. He later revealed that he was frustrated after confidential news about his nonconforming driver was leaked. According to McIlroy, he knew Scottie Scheffler’s driver had failed testing earlier that week, but only his name became public. “I was a little pissed off because I knew that [Scottie’s] driver had failed on Monday, but my name was the one that was leaked,” he said. McIlroy added that he stayed silent because he didn’t want to say something he’d regret while trying to protect multiple parties—including Scheffler, TaylorMade, the USGA, and the PGA of America.
In the eyes of many fans, this extended slump is difficult to watch. One voice echoed a shared sentiment: “This sucks.” With McIlroy’s form under intense scrutiny and speculation swirling about his equipment and mindset, the golf world is left wondering—can Rory bounce back and reclaim his place at the top, or are we witnessing a slow fade from the sport’s elite tier?