Rory McIlroy used one word to describe his first round at PGA Championship: 'S**t'

Rory McIlroy needed just one word to sum up his opening round at the 2026 PGA Championship : "Shit. " McIlroy shot 4-over 74 Thursday at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, which is hosting the PGA Championship for the first time since 1962. He started on the back nine and made bogey on each of his last four holes, Nos.

6-9, to cap off a frustrating round that went off the rails down the stretch. "I started missing fairways," McIlroy said. "I missed the fairway right on 4, the fairway right on 6, the fairway right on 7, fairway right on 9.

From there, it's hard — you know, I didn't have great angles either. Then obviously you start missing it just off the edges of these greens, it gets tricky. I felt like I did okay.

I made that birdie on 5 to get back to even-par after the soft bogey on 4, then I just got on that bogey train at the end. " It was an uncharacteristic performance from McIlroy, who last month became just the fourth player to win consecutive Masters titles. He entered the week leading the PGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and Strokes Gained: Tee to Green.