PGA Championship talking points: Silence culture, McIlroy's goals and Irish angst
TALKING POINTS: Quail Hollow brought plenty of drama and upset as the second Major of the year is complete. Pic: AP Photo/David J. Phillip
When Scottie Scheffler brought his infant son into Quail Hollow’s scorer’s office to sign off on his third Major victory on Sunday evening, he needed to free his hands briefly. He plopped Bennett on the floor, pondered a second then threw down his hat and a scorecard holder to keep the one-year-old occupied. Smarts and simplicity.
There was plenty of both on show from the world No.1 over four days in Charlotte. Even on closing day, Scheffler wasn’t at his best but he thought as much as fought his way to glory.
As he toiled off the tee on the front nine, Scheffler asked Ted Scott why everything was going left. “Maybe you’re aimed over there,” the caddy replied. "Just try and hit a little further right.” All so simple.
Scheffler’s historic 2024, when he won eight pro tournaments and Olympic gold, was a daunting thing to follow in 2025. For a while it looked to be weighing on the Texan.
Yet in the space of three weeks he has two victories including a maiden Wanamaker. Asked where he would put the hefty prize, Scheffler replied in "the Golf Room…where all my crap goes”.
Quail Hollow put it simply for everyone: expect the Scheffler Golf Room to keep on filling up.
There were two major controversies of the week in Charlotte. One was down to an act of god, the vengeful storms and rain which poured down on the place leaving fairways muddy and fertile for frustration among the pros.
The mud ball issue was a prime example of modern golf being too inclined to moan first when imperfections invade its perfectly manicured and managed world. “I never even heard the term mud ball, growing up,” countered Padraig Harrington, always worth listening to.
The second controversy, however, was the act of god-awful archaic mindsets. Golf’s culture of secrecy and silence isn’t fit for our modern times. When the first story emerged Friday about Rory McIlroy’s driver being tested pre-tournament and deemed non-conforming, all involved went silent, refusing to respond to requests for comment — the PGA, who organised the tournament, the USGA, who’d done the testing, and McIlroy himself.
It took almost 24 hours before the PGA confirmed testing had happened but even then it was filled with talk of results being kept “confidential to protect players” because publicly identifying them could lead to them being “questioned unnecessarily”. Utter nonsense.
Measuring how the face of a driver head gets worn down by fractions of millimetres is treacly, inside-baseball stuff. But when the layman sees a headline about a player having a club banned for being non-conforming or even potentially performance-enhancing that creates a hazy air of suspicion. It’s unnecessary.
McIlroy still hasn’t spoken. Taylor Made, with whom he extended an already $100m contract in 2022, also have said nothing.
Scheffler, however, revealed in his champion’s press conference that he too was among around one third of the field called for testing, which his driver failed. He called for changes in how the testing happens, arguing it should be a blanket thing. Agreed. But it should also be unshrouded. Test everyone, publish the results, lift the suspicions and get on with it.
McIlroy’s only words of the week came in a Wednesday press conference where he insisted that post-Augusta Grand Slam glory, he’s avoided setting any more career goals: “Everyone saw how hard having a north star is.”
So, no north star for now. If he does eventually want to write something down however, a lone star would make for a good target. Scheffler and McIlroy are the game’s clear pairing pillars. Since the American’s first Tour victory in 2022, the Texan leads head-to-head with 15 wins and three Majors to nine wins and 1 Major for McIlroy.
Yes this is reductive. Golf if so rarely a head-to-head thing. But getting a repeat of the 2022 Tour Championship final-round showdown between the two on a Major Sunday feels like the kind of thing we must keep speaking into existence. After a week when no part of his game clicked, McIlroy would undoubtedly be the underdog.
Head-to-head permutation-casting can lead us to only one place: Bethpage Black. The Ryder Cup is now just two Majors away and the biggest mover from Quail Hollow was a key figure. The often-told yarn that Keegan Bradley still hasn’t unpacked his suitcase from the 2012 US meltdown at Medinah has got plenty more airings since he was named captain for the 2025 edition.
The 38-year-old may need excess baggage for September's trip to Long Island because he’s working his way into a role we haven’t seen for 62 years. Not since Arnold Palmer in 1963 have the Americans been led by a playing captain but Bradley’s eighth-place finish at Quail Hollow has ensured this debate will run.
On Monday Bradley rose to 16th in the world rankings, the ninth-highest American. In the official US Ryder Cup standings he’s up five places to 17th. In front of him are plenty of raw talents he may be nervy about relying on as the hosts look to rebound from the rout in Rome. Plenty to weigh up before bags are packed.
Covering Quail Hollow with a green lens made for an interesting if altogether unsatisfying week. The only lasting imprint was on the * key on our laptop.
From Shane Lowry’s x-rated outburst over a plugged ball ruling to McIlroy’s own F-bomb frustrations, Quail Hollow made for a cursed venue.
Tom McKibbin scraping inside the top 50 on debut may be the only marginal positive but now he returns to the uncompetitive confines of LIV. Pity. Seamus Power left still seeking a spark.
The year’s next Major is at Oakmont which suits Lowry so much more. He has unfinished business at the Pittsburgh course after weather helped scupper his 2016 US Open tilt there.
He’ll then head back to Portrush where Harrington will also feature. While he didn’t make the cut, this week was another reminder that the Padraig perspective is one which golf needs around.
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