Mark SchlabachMay 18, 2025, 09:24 PM ET
- Senior college football writer
- Author of seven books on college football
- Graduate of the University of Georgia
CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Masters champion Rory McIlroy's driver wasn't the only one the United States Golf Association declared nonconforming in testing before this week's PGA Championship at Quail Hollow Club.
World No. 1 golfer Scottie Scheffler also confirmed Sunday that the USGA ruled his driver unplayable before he captured his third major with a five-stroke victory over Harris English, Bryson DeChambeau and Davis Riley.
"The driver testing is something that regularly happens on tour," Scheffler said. "My driver did fail me this week. We had a feeling that it was going to be coming because I've used that driver for over a year. I was kind of fortunate for it to last that long, I felt like."
McIlroy, who completed the career Grand Slam by winning a green jacket at the Masters in April, was also among the golfers whose drivers were declared nonconforming by the USGA, according to a report on SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio on Friday.
McIlroy, who tied for 47th at 3 over in the PGA Championship, left Quail Hollow on Sunday without talking to reporters for the fourth straight day.
He tied for 43rd in driving accuracy among the 74 players who made the cut Sunday, hitting 7 of 14 fairways. In the first round, he hit only 4 of 14 fairways.
The PGA of America requested that the USGA conduct driver testing at Quail Hollow, it said in a statement.
"That program is consistent with the same level of support that we provide to the PGA Tour as part of their regular program for driver testing," the USGA said.
The driver testing focuses on, among other things, the "characteristic time" of a club's face, or its spring-like effect. Drivers' faces tend to "creep" or thin the more they're used by golfers, giving them even more spring.
Results of the testing are confidential.
Scheffler struggled to hit fairways with his new driver on the front nine Sunday. He said his new driver wasn't the issue -- it was his swing. He hit 13 of 14 fairways in the third round with his new TaylorMade driver.
"I would argue that if we're going to test the drivers, we need to be even more robust in the way we test them," Scheffler said. "That was a conversation I had with one of the rules officials; if it's something we're going to take seriously, I feel like we're almost going halfway with it right now.
"If we're going to test only a third of the field, if we're going to do it right, leave it up to us as players, like the rest of the rules in the game of golf are."
Two-time major champion Xander Schauffele agreed that the entire field's drivers need to be tested.
"I think they should test everyone's driver," he told Golfweek on Sunday. "It's not right to just test 50 guys. It just doesn't make sense if you're in it for the spirit [of the game]. The whole point of it is to protect the integrity of the field. If you don't test everyone across the board, I don't think you're protecting the whole field."
