NEWTON SQUARE, Pa. — Rory McIlroy halted his Tuesday afternoon practice round at Aronimink Golf Club after three holes because of discomfort from an ongoing blister on his right pinky toe as he prepared for this week’s PGA Championship. McIlroy, coming off his second straight Masters victory, removed his shoe repeatedly during the opening holes and ultimately left the course while a cart came to take him back to the clubhouse.
McIlroy took off his shoe and examined his right foot several times over the first three holes. At the fourth tee, where there was a wait, he removed his sock and again attended to his pinky toe before speaking with his team and deciding to stop the round. The five-time major winner had been visibly bothered as he walked the early holes.
The issue dated to last week’s Truist Championship at Quail Hollow, when McIlroy showed a noticeable limp during the final round and attributed it to a blister. “Yeah, I’ve got a blister on my pinky toe on my right foot, but it’s underneath my nail,” McIlroy said after that tournament. “I can’t really get to it, so it’s a little sore. But I’ll be all right.” Earlier Tuesday, he told Irish media that he had removed the nail on the pinky toe and planned to size up in shoes to try to limit the discomfort.
ESPN’s Jeff Darlington reported that after leaving the course, McIlroy tried on different shoes inside the Aronimink clubhouse. The report says it was unclear whether McIlroy would attempt another practice session Wednesday or play through the issue when he tees off Thursday at 8:40 a.m. alongside Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth.
McIlroy made a daylong scouting trip to Aronimink a few weeks ago and said that allowed him to take a more relaxed approach to the tournament week. He added Tuesday that he feels more comfortable heading into this week’s championship than he did last year, saying he arrived then “a little bit sort of uncertain of what my future was” but now feels he has “some nice clear road ahead to try to get some more of these majors.”
