Rory McIlroy entered the 2026 PGA Championship carrying significant momentum after winning back-to-back Masters titles earlier this spring.
Instead of building on that success, however, the Northern Irish star stumbled out of the gate Thursday at Aronimink Golf Club.
McIlroy opened the tournament with a 4-over 74, leaving him well outside the early contenders and facing another uphill battle at a major championship.
The disappointing round came just weeks after McIlroy moved even closer to Tiger Woods on golf’s all-time career earnings list following his latest Masters victory.
Rory McIlroy Climbs Career Earnings List After Masters Victory
McIlroy earned $4.5 million for his victory at the 2026 Masters Tournament, adding to the $4.2 million payday he collected after winning the 2025 Masters and completing the career Grand Slam.
According to PGA.com, McIlroy entered the week with $110.2 million in career earnings, ranking second all-time behind Woods’ reported $120.9 million.
The win also placed McIlroy in rare company historically.
He became just the fourth golfer ever to win back-to-back Masters titles and the first since Woods accomplished the feat in 2001 and 2002.
McIlroy held the lead after every round at Augusta National this year before finishing at 12-under par.
Scottie Scheffler pushed him late during the final round, finishing one shot behind at 11-under after posting a 4-under 68 Sunday.
McIlroy Faces Another Slow Start at PGA Championship
McIlroy arrived at Aronimink as one of the betting favorites to win the Wanamaker Trophy alongside Scheffler.
Instead, Round 1 continued a recent trend of difficult opening rounds in majors.
After the round, McIlroy was asked to describe his performance in one word.
“S—,” he told reporters.
The world No. 2 battled inconsistency throughout Thursday’s round before signing for a 74.
McIlroy did recover slightly late in his round, posting two birdies on the back nine, but the damage had already been done.
The rough opening also sparked discussion because McIlroy recently dealt with a blister on his foot that reportedly forced him to stop a practice round earlier in the week after only three holes.
Whether the injury contributed to the score remains unclear.
The Back-to-Back Masters Champ’s Major Championship Opening Rounds Remain Inconsistent
McIlroy’s first-round struggles at majors have become an ongoing storyline despite his recent success.
Even during his 2025 Masters victory, McIlroy opened with an even-par round before eventually charging up the leaderboard.
His recent first-round scores at majors include:
7-over at the 2024 Open Championship
Even par at the 2025 Masters
3-over at the 2025 PGA Championship
4-over at the 2025 U.S. Open
1-under at the 2025 Open Championship
4-over at the 2026 PGA Championship
The pattern has often forced McIlroy to spend the remainder of tournaments climbing back into contention.
Last year at Quail Hollow, McIlroy opened the PGA Championship with a 3-over round before eventually finishing tied for 47th.
Despite the slow start this week, a missed cut would still qualify as a surprise.
Entering Aronimink, McIlroy had missed only one cut in his previous 12 major championship appearances.
The top 70 players and ties advance to the weekend at the PGA Championship.
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