Rory McIlroy, the world No. 2 and this season’s Masters champion, was forced to cut short his practice round at the PGA Championship on Tuesday, stopping after just three holes due to a foot injury.
According to Yahoo Sports and other U.S. media outlets, McIlroy’s early exit from the practice round at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, may be related to a blister that caused him to limp during last week’s Truist Championship. The Northern Irishman previously mentioned after the Truist Championship that he had developed a blister on his right pinky toe, noting it was under the nail and difficult to reach, but expressed confidence he would be fine despite some discomfort.
McIlroy is aiming for back-to-back major victories at this week’s PGA Championship, held at the par-70 Aronimink layout.
The tournament organizers announced that McIlroy will play the first two rounds alongside Jon Rahm of Spain and Jordan Spieth of the United States. Golf publication Scratch Golf pointed out the irony, noting that Rahm himself withdrew from the U.S. Open two years ago due to a foot injury, calling it an “ominous sign.”
World No. 1 and defending champion Scottie Scheffler will tee off with Matt Fitzpatrick and Justin Rose, both from England. Fitzpatrick has been on a hot streak this season, winning three events on the PGA Tour, most recently defeating Scheffler in a playoff at the RBC Heritage last month. Rose, the 2016 Olympic gold medalist, claimed his 13th PGA Tour victory at the Farmers Insurance Open in January.
Meanwhile, South Korean golfers Kim Si-woo and Im Sung-jae will begin their first rounds on Thursday from the 10th tee at 9:07 p.m. and 1:32 a.m. local time, respectively.
