Rory McIlroy Injury Concern Emerges Ahead of PGA Championship

Rory McIlroy heads into this week’s PGA Championship with an unexpected injury concern after cutting short a practice round at Aronimink because of a painful toe problem.

The reigning Masters champion abandoned his Tuesday practice session after just three holes, with reports suggesting discomfort in his right foot had worsened following the removal of the nail on his little toe earlier this week.

McIlroy revealed the bizarre injury during his pre-tournament press conference, joking that he had “softened it up in the shower and just ripped it off” before showing reporters the damage. The world number two admitted he has even needed to increase the size of his golf shoes ahead of the second major of the season.

McIlroy was seen limping during the practice round and at one point removed his shoe before eventually leaving the course in a golf cart after reaching the fourth tee.

Despite the setback, McIlroy is still expected to tee it up on Thursday as he looks to win back to back majors following his successful Masters title defence last month.

The 37-year-old arrives at Aronimink carrying huge expectations after becoming just the fourth player in history to retain the Green Jacket at Augusta National Golf Club. Victory this week would make him the first player since Jack Nicklaus in 1975 to win both the Masters and PGA Championship in the same year.

McIlroy appeared relaxed and upbeat earlier in the week, a stark contrast to the tense figure seen during last year’s PGA Championship media duties following the emotional fallout from completing his career Grand Slam.

Speaking ahead of the tournament, McIlroy admitted he has spent more time appreciating recent success with his family, including wife Erica and daughter Poppy.

“Major championship wins don’t come along that often,” McIlroy said. “The further I get on in my career, the more I start to realise how special these moments are.”

His preparations included a productive training block in Florida with longtime coach Michael Bannon, although last week’s tied-19th finish at Quail Hollow was slightly underwhelming by his standards.

McIlroy still believes his game is trending in the right direction after closing with an impressive final round of 67.

“I went away from Quail Hollow with quite a few positives,” he said. “I feel good about where my game is heading into this week.”

The bigger question now is whether his toe injury could impact his chances of chasing one of golf’s rarest achievements, a calendar year Grand Slam. McIlroy is the only player still able to complete the feat in 2026 after his Masters victory.

“There’s a reason that no one’s been able to do it before in the history of the game,” McIlroy admitted.

World number one Scottie Scheffler is expected to be McIlroy’s biggest rival this week, while Cameron Young, Matt Fitzpatrick and Tommy Fleetwood are also among the contenders heading into the championship.