Rory McIlroy Stumbles Early at 2025 PGA Championship Amid Pressure to Perform

McIlroy's Rocky Start at Quail Hollow

At a course where he's tasted plenty of success before, Rory McIlroy arrived at the 2025 PGA Championship with the world watching. Just weeks ago, he completed the elusive career Grand Slam, joining a small club of true legends. But the hype and high expectations seemed to weigh heavily as he stepped onto Quail Hollow's familiar turf.

McIlroy's opening round told the story of a superstar wrestling with his own game. His card: a rough three-over-par 74. The stats showed three bogeys, a costly double-bogey, and only two birdies—unusually low numbers for someone of his caliber. The real culprits? Wayward tee shots and putts that just wouldn’t drop. He wound up losing more than two strokes to the field by the end of the first day. Not exactly what fans were hoping for from one of golf's biggest names.

The struggles on the greens stuck out most. McIlroy’s putter, which had been reliable during his Grand Slam run, simply refused to cooperate. Missed opportunities from short range piled on the frustration. It was the kind of day where momentum was impossible to find, and instead of climbing the leaderboard, McIlroy was left fighting just to stay above the projected cut line.

Speculation and a Glimpse of Recovery

On TV, former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley offered some insight, hinting that McIlroy could be feeling the after-effects of recent success. Carving his name into the history books, then turning around to summon that same competitive fire, is no small task. The emotional and mental toll of gunning for—and achieving—the career Grand Slam might be the thing silently hampering McIlroy. As McGinley suggested, it's not uncommon for focus to waver after such big wins.

With those struggles visible to anyone watching, questions cropped up right away: Has McIlroy lost his edge? Can he turn things around before the weekend? The second round brought answers—at least partial ones. McIlroy looked more like himself, piecing together a gritty two-under-par 69. The driver found more fairways, the putter cooperated, and—most important—he clawed back some lost ground. That round kept his championship hopes afloat.

It’s still a mountain to climb, but it feels a little less steep than it did after Thursday. No word has surfaced about any withdrawals or injury drama—rumors making the rounds prove just that, for now. At Quail Hollow, what’s clear is that Rory McIlroy faces a real test—not just against the course and field, but against the pressures of legacy and expectation.