At a news conference preceding last week’s RBC Canadian Open, Rory McIlroy made his first public comments since going radio silent at last month’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow following reports that his driver had been deemed non-conforming after failing a pre-tournament test for spring-like effect.
It wasn’t until Sunday at the PGA that it came to light Scottie Scheffler’s driver had also been deemed non-conforming prior to the event but only McIlroy’s name had been revealed. It’s not unusual for drivers to fail the inspection – a reported nine failed at Quail Hollow – but the fact that it got out did not sit well with McIlroy, who declined to speak to the media after all four rounds.
“I was a little pissed off because I knew that Scottie’s driver had failed on Monday, but my name was the one that was leaked. It was supposed to stay confidential. Two members of the media were the ones that leaked it,” McIlroy said.
“Again, I didn’t want to get up there and say something that I regretted, either, because there’s a lot of people that – I’m trying to protect Scottie. I don’t want to mention his name. I’m trying to protect TaylorMade. I’m trying to protect the USGA, PGA of America, myself.
“I just didn’t want to get up there and say something that I regretted at the time.”
McIlroy maintained that declining to speak to the media was his prerogative. “If they want to make it mandatory, that’s fine, but in our rules it says that it’s not, and until the day that that’s maybe written into the regulations, you’re going to have guys skip from time to time, and that’s well within our rights,” he said. READ MORE
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No surprise: Scheffler books ticket to Bethpage
Scheffler clinched a berth on the U.S. team for September’s Ryder Cup at Bethpage Black, the PGA of America announced last Wednesday. The world No. 1, who has won three times on the PGA Tour since the start of May, leads the U.S. standings with 25,918.25 points, more than the next two players, Xander Schauffele and Bryson DeChambeau, had combined at the time of the announcement.
“Representing the United States at the Ryder Cup has been one of the greatest honors of my career, and I look forward to doing so for a third time this September,” Scheffler said in a statement. “I will do whatever it takes to help our team reclaim the Cup and cannot wait to play in front of the passionate New York spectators at Bethpage Black.”
Scheffler also confirmed last week that he will be in the field for the Genesis Scottish Open, which will be staged July 10-13, the week before the Open Championship, at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick. READ MORE
U.S. Amateur champion Jose Luis Ballester of Spain has joined LIV Golf and made his professional debut last week at the Saudi-funded league’s Virginia event. Ballester signed a multiyear contract to be part of the Fireballs team captained by fellow Spaniard Sergio García, the league announced last Wednesday.
Ballester, 21, recently concluded his senior season at Arizona State. He finished third in the PGA Tour University standings, earning him full status on the Korn Ferry Tour, but Golf Channel reported last Monday that he declined membership on the PGA Tour's top developmental circuit.
Although he missed the cut at the Masters in April, Ballester made headlines when he urinated in Rae’s Creek on the par-5 13th hole. READ MORE
Tap-Ins
Tickets for all four championship rounds of the U.S. Open at Oakmont are sold out, the USGA announced on Friday. READ MORE
U.S. Solheim Cup captain Angela Stanford named Brittany Lang an assistant captain for the 2026 team that will face Europe at Bernardus Golf in the Netherlands. READ MORE
LIV Golf has appointed Chris Heck president of business operations, reporting to CEO Scott O’Neil. Heck most recently served as president of English Premier League soccer club Aston Villa FC. READ MORE
John Deere has signed a multiyear extension to continue as title sponsor of the John Deere Classic through 2030, the PGA Tour announced. READ MORE
Registration for 2025 PGA Tour Q-School is now open. READ MORE
Compiled by Mike Cullity