Imago
May 12, 2026; Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, Rory McIlroy speaks with the media before a practice round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Imago
May 12, 2026; Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, Rory McIlroy speaks with the media before a practice round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images
Forty-eight hours isn’t much time to regain composure at a major championship. For Rory McIlroy, though, it was just enough to turn his anger into a joke, and everyone in the Aronimink press room noticed right away. On Thursday, he left the 18th green looking ready to tear the course apart. By Saturday, he had entered the interview room already prepared with a joke.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
When a reporter started by mentioning McIlroy’s one-word summary from Thursday, he quickly responded, “Better. I said no profanity today, so keep it clean.” The room burst out laughing. The joke worked because everyone had seen just how openly frustrated he was before; it was classic McIlroy.
Thursday’s opening round did not go as planned. McIlroy shot a four-over 74 at Aronimink, closing with four consecutive bogeys. This was the first time in many PGA Tour rounds that he had finished a round in this way. On the par-4 fourth hole, his tee shot faded right into thick rough. He drove his TaylorMade Qi4D into the turf and appeared to shout an expletive that was picked up on broadcast microphones, as reported. The week had already started with issues. His regular driver was ruled non-conforming before play began, which forced him to switch equipment at the last minute. After the round, he addressed the driving problem directly.
Top Stories
“I’m just not driving the ball well enough. It’s been a problem all year for the most part.”
Rory HOT mic !!! pic.twitter.com/rJCgQADxEM
— Elijah Collins (@Ecollins2727) May 19, 2023
After Round 1, he spent time on the range, reviewed TrackMan data, and identified a path issue. He adjusted his right shoulder in transition. In Round 2, he shot a 67 with five birdies and avoided mistakes late in the round. He finished the day one-over for the championship, five shots behind co-leaders Maverick McNealy and Alex Smalley going into the weekend. At Saturday’s press conference, he dismissed the idea that emotion was the main factor.
“I wouldn’t say roller coaster of emotions. I didn’t play particularly well — I had a really bad finish on Thursday, but at the end of the day, I was only seven back.”
He looked for an example that spoke for itself.
“I thought back to last year’s Masters. I was seven back after the first day, and I was two ahead going into the final day.”
This shows how he has learned to spot his own weak moments and work through them. He set small goals each day, like aiming for even par on Day 2 and five-under on Day 3. Even when he missed those marks, he kept pushing forward. By Saturday morning, he was close to the lead.
“I’ve climbed my way out of that hole a little bit, which is — I’m proud of myself for doing that.”
McIlroy’s actions on the course have always drawn attention from more than just the leaderboard. His week at Aronimink is part of a bigger trend that modern broadcasts have made clear to everyone.
Rory McIlroy and golf’s hot-mic culture: When emotion becomes the story
At the 2023 PGA Championship at Oak Hill, a microphone picked up his profanity after a poor tee shot on hole 14. In the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont, he threw a club down the fairway and broke a tee marker during a difficult second round.
A year earlier at the BMW Championship, he threw a club into a water hazard. McIlroy has always been open with his emotions on the course, and cameras now expect it.
He was not the only one showing frustration at Aronimink on Thursday. Justin Thomas let go of his iron after a missed tee shot on the par-3 14th. Jon Rahm’s anger had bigger consequences when an air swing after a poor approach on hole 7 sent a divot into the face of an elderly volunteer, something Rahm immediately called “inexcusable.” McIlroy also pointed out that Scottie Scheffler and Shane Lowry had both complained about the course setup after the first round. These days, major championship coverage often highlights players’ emotions on the course, sometimes even more than the leaderboard.
There is one round left at Aronimink, a course Scheffler described as having the toughest pin positions he has seen. McIlroy entered Saturday’s press conference already clear about how he would approach the rest of the week, and his opening remarks reflected that.
