Rory McIlroy has already repeated exactly the same tactic he used at The Masters after day one of the PGA Championship

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Rory McIlroy certainly hasn’t had his dream start to the PGA Championship, which he entered as The Masters champion.

McIlroy occupies T98th in the PGA Championship leaderboard after round one, having carded a three-over 74.

The 29-time PGA Tour champion has helped form the marquee pairing for rounds one and two, where McIlroy is grouped with Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele.

World number one Scheffler had the best day out of the three as he ended T20th, with defending champion Schauffele in T60th.

Testing conditions were a common theme on Thursday at Quail Hollow, with the course having been hit with heavy rainfall earlier in the week.

Rory McIlroy repeats tactic from The Masters at the PGA Championship

He wasn’t the only one to struggle, but McIlroy certainly wasn’t his usual self on a course which he has thrived at throughout his career.

But he was at least consistent with his post-round actions, with the five-time major champion again opting not to speak to the media.

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Just last month, McIlroy took the same course of action after his first round of The Masters at Augusta National.

That approach also played out at Pinehurst last year, when the Northern Irishman made a quick exit following his 2024 US Open heartache.

Rory McIlroy cannot be ruled out of PGA Championship success amid media absence

McIlroy certainly isn’t alone in his current standoff with the media, in which he often picks and chooses his moments to answer questions about his game and indeed life in general.

His fellow PGA Tour star and close friend Shane Lowry has adopted a similar approach in recent times, with frustration seemingly one of the main factors behind their viewpoints.

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In McIlroy’s current case, however, it is worth remembering that he went on to win The Masters after his early media absence.

In one of the most unforgettable editions of The Masters, he completed the career grand slam via a playoff victory.

Justin Rose was the unfortunate man to miss out in such cruel circumstances, having led the way after rounds one and two.

McIlroy meanwhile produced a superb rise from his opening round even par to finally end his major championship drought, with his lack of interaction with the media perhaps playing a small part.