What an incident at the PGA Championship: Rory McIlroy let a disruptive fan know exactly what time it was. Mid-backswing during a crucial chip shot from the rough on the par-five 16th – and just like that, due to the distraction, the ball landed in the greenside bunker. The dream of a birdie? Temporarily buried.
McIlroy, the World Number Two, didn't hesitate: With clear words – and the odd expletive – he put the troublemaker in his place and reportedly asked security to escort the guy off the course at Aronimink. The whole situation was reminiscent of his turbulent 2025 Ryder Cup campaign when McIlroy was also subjected to relentless abuse during Europe's victory at Bethpage Black. A déjà vu nobody needs.
From the bunker, McIlroy blasted his ball to five feet from the hole and sank it for par. But the golden birdie chance on the 16th, which would have been so crucial? It vanished in the sand. McIlroy, who claimed his sixth Major title at the Masters last month, finished his round with two more pars. He ended up with a 69, one under par, and a total of 276 (four under par) after 72 holes.
However, that wasn't enough for the win. He was a full five strokes behind England's Aaron Rai, who snatched the title. Rai delivered a stunning round of 65, with four birdies on the closing holes – including the 16th!
After the round, McIlroy announced that he would not compete again until the PGA Tour's Memorial Tournament in three weeks. That will also serve as the dress rehearsal for the US Open next month at Shinnecock. For McIlroy, it was clear: the missed birdies on the par-five 9th and 16th holes, as well as a bogey on the playable par-four 13th, were crucial to his defeat. “I felt like I played exactly the golf I needed to for the rest of the round,” McIlroy explained. “If I had birdied the two par-fives and turned the five on the 13th into a three, the day would have looked very different.”
