Rory McIlroy’s bid for a seventh major title has come under threat from a surreal injury to his pinky toe.
The world No 2 was forced to abandon his practice round at the PGA Championship after just three holes because of the discomfort caused by a blister on his right foot.
At one stage at Aronimink Golf Club he removed his spikes and sock to inspect the issue before deciding to call it quits.
Describing the injury last week, when it first flared up on the PGA Tour stop at Quail Hollow, McIlroy said: ‘I’ve got a blister on my pinky toe on my right foot. But it’s underneath my nail. So I can’t really get to it or so it’s a little sore, but I’ll be all right.’
Earlier, McIlroy was drawn to partner Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth in the first two rounds of the tournament, which commences on Thursday.
A tie for 19th at the Truist Championship over the weekend was a modest indicator of McIlroy’s form, as was a recurrence of some wonky driving from the tee, but there have evidently been no recurrences of the motivation issues that followed his 2025 breakthrough at Augusta.
Rory McIlroy was forced to cut his practice round at the PGA Championship short on Tuesday
The Masters champion continues to struggle with a blister on the pinky toe of his right foot
He said last weekend that the blister is nothing to worry about despite being ‘a little sore’
The six-time major champion said: ‘I think I came into this tournament last year a little bit sort of uncertain of what my future was. I still hadn’t really reset goals or found the motivation to keep going forward for the rest of my career. It probably took me a good few months to get to that point. Coming into this tournament feels a lot different.’
McIlroy refused to blame the problem with his pinky toe as an excuse for the four over-par 75 on Saturday that ultimately derailed his tournament in North Carolina.
Asked about it impacting his poor third round, he said firmly: ‘No, not at all. I wish that was an excuse but absolutely not.’
The second major of the year, the PGA, starts on Thursday at Aronimink Golf Club.
McIlroy, who wrapped up his second straight Masters title last month, told reporters he visited the course last week in order to step up his preparations ahead of the tournament.
‘It was nice to get an early look at it,’ he said. ‘It just means that the week of the tournament you’re not under pressure to play a lot of holes.
‘Historically the practice rounds at the PGA can be excruciatingly long, so it’s probably going to just be nine holes Tuesday, nine holes Wednesday.’
