Rory McIlroy narrowly made the cut at the PGA Championship, where round three is now underway after a rain delay.
Tee times in the third round of the PGA Championship were delayed because of an eight-mile lightning radius at Quail Hollow in North Carolina.
Practice rounds were closed, with the iconic course having witnessed similarly poor weather earlier in the week.
It meant tricky conditions for rounds one and two, where The Masters champion McIlroy carded rounds of 74 and 69 respectively.
He was on the one-over cut line to make the weekend, with Xander Schauffele and Chris Kirk as his latest playing partners.
What Rory McIlroy is really like with the media after PGA Championship snub
But McIlroy’s actions off the course have been attracting as much attention as those on it, with the five-time major champion declining to speak to the media after rounds one and two.
Sharing his take on the situation, Golf Channel’s Rex Hoggard commented on Sky Sports Golf: “It was surprising. Rory McIlroy is very accommodating with the media.
“I was in New Orleans just a few weeks ago after that win at The Masters, and look he engaged every single day. It was a victory lap for him. So this is a little surprising.
“My guess is it has a little bit to do with how he’s driving the ball, and a little bit to do with the fact he probably doesn’t want to answer a lot of questions about his driver getting tested.”
Rex Hoggard makes ‘important’ point about Rory McIlroy’s driver ban
McIlroy certainly hasn’t been anywhere near his best this week, having set the bar very high so far this season.
He entered the PGA Championship as a three-time winner on the PGA Tour in 2025, including that unforgettable success at The Masters.
Importantly, he isn’t the only player to neglect his media duties of late, with his close friend Shane Lowry recently doing the same.
As mentioned by Hoggard, his bag issue may be playing a part in the absence of media discussions, with McIlroy’s driver deemed non-conforming by the USGA before he got his tournament underway.
Sharing his insight, Hoggard added: “I think it’s important to point out Rory McIlroy was not the first person that had his driver fail this test.
“Xander Schauffele had it done just a few years ago at The Open Championship. And it’s kind of a status quo.
“No player wants a driver that’s too safe that it’s never going to fail. So they want it as close to the edge, within the legal limits as possible.
“The more you hit it with that force, with that much speed, eventually they’re all going to be made non-conforming.”
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