Trouble Starts for Rory McIlroy & Co. as Unexpected Setback Suspends Play at PGA Championship

The PGA Championship is making waves, not so much for the performance as for the dramas surrounding the second men’s major. It all began when Scottie Scheffler pointed to “mud balls,” an issue worsened by the weather woes in the region. Following that, an elite roster of golfers started losing their cool and swearing—thanks to the softened turf. Now, as we head into the third round, we’re facing yet another “major” unexpected setback.

Due to dangerous weather and intense thunderstorms, the PGA Championship’s initial update announced that officials halted practice at 7:30 a.m. local time because of hazardous conditions in the area, just 45 minutes before the first group was set to tee off. They then suspended official play at 8:15 a.m.

In the latest update, the PGA Championship announced another significant delay during the second men’s major. According to the update, hazardous weather will lead to a split tee start for Round 3 from #1 and #10 tees in groups of three, running from 11:43 AM to 1:55 PM.

This situation is not sitting well with the elite roster at Quail Hollow, especially for Rory McIlroy, who was set to start his third round. However, as he prepared for his upcoming round, the horn sounded, prompting the Irishman to mutter, “f–k off” with a smile.

However, even after the storms pass, players will face strong winds, with steady breezes of 14-18 mph and gusts reaching up to 28 mph in the afternoon. Most importantly, it looks like the mud ball drama is sticking around at the PGA Championship—guess the only thing sinking faster than the scores is the turf! Despite the weather woes, here’s what is happening at the weather-beaten event at Quail Hollow.

How did the elite roster perform so far at the PGA Championship?

The 4x Quail Hollow champion, Rory McIlroy, is struggling at the PGA Championship. The Masters champion began the tournament by shooting 74 in the first round but improved his performance in the second round with a score of 62, narrowly avoiding missing the cut. His current standing? T62. However, the Irishman can also blame his last-minute club switch. It has come to light that the 36-year-old had to change clubs just before his first round on Thursday. CBS Sports reported that USGA tests deemed his regular driver ‘nonconforming.’

The most surprising performance so far has come from Jhonattan Vegas, who has battled years of injuries to reach the top of the leaderboard at Quail Hollow. The 40-year-old Venezuelan took the lead after two rounds with a score of eight-under 134, following a one-under 70. Si Woo Kim is right behind him, improving on his Thursday performance (72) with a score of 64 in the next round. Matt Fitzpatrick and Matthieu Pavon are closely trailing the leaders.

As for surprises, there are two notable ones: Scottie Scheffler climbed 15 positions on the leaderboard with scores of 69 in both the first and second rounds. Max Homa also appears to be regaining his form, jumping 68 positions and now standing tied with Scheffler.

Another surprise? Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth, Brooks Koepka, Phil Mickelson, and Dustin Johnson, among others, have all missed the cut! Undoubtedly, Quail Hollow is proving more challenging than expected at this PGA Championship.