Rory McIlroy has big shoes to fill at the PGA: His own to help with a blister

Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, lines up his shot on the 12th green during a PGA Championship golf tournament practice round at Aronimink Golf Club, Wednesday, May 13, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. — Rory McIlroy now has big shoes to fill.

The Masters champion made it through three holes of his first practice round before he chose to walk in from Aronimink because of a blister that was under the nail of his right pinky toe.

On Wednesday, McIlroy made it through nine-hole practice round without issue.

“I feel soft having to walk in because of a little toe,” McIlroy said after his practice round.

He found the solution, however. McIlroy is using a cushion around the pinky toe, and then he found a shoe a half-size bigger and a little wider to give him some room. He said he felt fine, and walked without any discomfort, and he sees no reason why he can’t play.

“Pleasantly surprised,” he said of how good it felt. “Walking downhill when the foot slides to the front of the shoe maybe gives me a bit of bother. But it’s fine. All good.”

McIlroy plays Thursday morning in a group with Jordan Spieth, who is trying to be next in line behind McIlroy to capture the career Grand Slam. Joining them is Jon Rahm, who is trying to achieve a Grand Slam for his country. Spanish players have won every major but the PGA Championship.

A tradition unlike one other

Scottie Scheffler has experience hosting a dinner for champions of a major he won, having twice presided over the Masters Club dinner at Augusta National.

The PGA Championship also has a tradition where the defending champion hosts a dinner for all the champions who are there. He chooses the menu and presents each a gift.

There are a couple of differences. Light attendance is not unusual — McIlroy was not part of the group photograph Tuesday night, presumably sorting out the blister that limited practice. Wives are invited. And the defending champion doesn’t have to pick up the tab.

On the Scheffler menu: Italian meatballs and focaccia garlic bread for an appetizer; family-style servings of chicken Parmesan, basil pesto gnocchi, strip steaks, giant onion rings, fried Brussels sprouts, salads, smashed roasted potatoes and three flavors of gelato (lemon, strawberry, raspberry).

For the gift, Scheffler gave each champion a Turtle Box speaker.

A big week for those wanting to play in the next major

The next major is the U.S. Open on June 18-21 at Shinnecock Hills, and the PGA Championship could go a long way in deciding who’s there.

The U.S. Open exempts the top 60 in the world ranking after this week.

Jordan Spieth would appear to be safe at No. 51. His 10-year exemption from winning in 2015 at Chambers Bay ran out last year, and Spieth has not missed a major dating to the 2013 British Open.

On the bubble are Ryo Hisatsune (59), Sami Valimaki (60), Thomas Detry (61) and David Puig (62). Detry was set to get the spot from being top three in points in LIV Golf until Lucas Herbert won in Virginia to surpass him.

The U.S. Open also takes the top 60 in the ranking published the Monday of the U.S. Open (June 15). PGA Tour players will have four tournaments before then. LIV Golf only has an event in South Korea, while the European tour has events in Belgium, Austria and the Netherlands.

Scheffler doesn’t always share his score. But there was that one time

Scottie Scheffler says his parents were supportive without being the least bit overbearing in his development as a junior golf. He says his mother had never asked him for his score.

“She said, ‘If you want me to know what you shot, you’ll tell me. I don’t have to ask you what you shot,’” Scheffler said.

And how often did he say his score?

He recalled in great detail an American Junior Golf Association qualifier he wanted to play. His father said he could play it provided Scheffler promise to not play in the ensuing tournament, even if he qualified. There was a family conflict and his father wouldn’t be able to take him.

“At the time, you had to qualify for the tournaments, but you could use it somewhere else,” Scheffler said. “The qualifier was a couple hours from my house, so we could get there, and I could play the qualifier. He drops me off at the qualifier. I call him when it gets done. He goes, ‘I don’t like this. This is not something I want to hear.’

“I said, ‘Well, dad, I won the qualifier. So if I win the qualifier, I get into the tournament, and I get to save the exemption.’”

And there began the argument, and turns out Scheffler won that, too. Scheffler called him after the tournament and told him he finished fifth. That was good news because Scheffler was then fully exempt and didn’t have to go through any more AJGA qualifiers.

He shared the news with his dad, who said he would be there in a couple of hours. Scheffler, not surprisingly, headed to the range and practiced until his dad arrived.

“I have told them before,” Scheffler said of sharing his scores. “But it’s only if something crazy like that one happened.”

___

Doug Ferguson, The Associated Press