Rory McIlroy still hasn’t spoken to the press since his driver was deemed to be non-conforming at the PGA Championship last month.
McIlroy endured a nightmare week at the PGA Championship, and he returns to action this week at the Canadian Open ahead of the US Open at Oakmont next week.
The narrative has now completely switched for the 35-year-old after what was such an exceptional start to the 2025 season.
McIlroy had to switch drivers just before the PGA began at Quail Hollow after his club was adjudged to be non-conforming to the current rules and regulations.
He certainly didn’t make things any easier for himself in the aftermath of that.
When he faces the media in Toronto this afternoon, the entire press conference will most likely revolve around his ducking of the media in recent weeks.
That’s an issue that is entirely of his own making. Hopefully he can switch the narrative back around in Canada and at the US Open next week.
Whether the USGA will test drivers before the US Open after Rory McIlroy controversy
McIlroy struggled during a practice round at Oakmont ahead of the US Open on Monday.
The beastly layout up in Pennsylvania is being billed as one of the toughest US Open tests of all-time, if not the toughest.
The only thing that could possibly make the golf course even more difficult would be players being forced to switch drivers just before the event starts.
But could that be the case at Oakmont this year?
The USGA Chief Championship officer John Bodenhamer spoke to the Golf Channel about the highly publicised recent driver testing controversy.
And he lifted the lid on whether testing would take place ahead of the US Open next week.
Bodenhamer said, “We will test drivers here at the US Open. It is something that the PGA Championship and the PGA of America invited us in to do, as much as the PGA Tour does throughout the year at multiple events.
“The players all know it and are very familiar with it. So randomly we will test the drivers of a number of players. We do it early in championship week and the players welcome it. They want to win with equipment that conforms. So they are very supportive.
“I think we keep it under the radar, we don’t want it to be a distraction to the players but they are all very co-operative and it works well.
“We think it’s important to make sure that it is done the right way and everybody is playing with the right equipment.“
Canadian Open is vitally important for McIlroy
McIlroy would obviously love to play well and win at Osprey Valley this week.
However, it will be equally as important for him to flip the narrative and by dealing with all the questions regarding his driver failing the tests before the PGA Championship.
Then McIlroy can focus on his golf once again with the US Open just around the corner.
The Northern Irishman is more than capable of winning this week in Canada and next week at Oakmont.
In order to do that though, he needs no distractions off the course, and whether or not that happens will be purely down to him.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
