Rory McIlroy appeared to poke fun at suggestions he enjoyed an “unfair advantage” at this year’s Masters after joking that he had practically moved into Aronimink Golf Club ahead of the PGA Championship.
The Northern Irishman is preparing for the second major of the season, which gets under way on Thursday in Pennsylvania.
McIlroy arrives full of confidence after successfully defending his Masters title in April to claim a sixth major championship and further cement his place among golf’s all-time greats.
The 36-year-old became only the fourth player in history to win back-to-back green jackets when he held off Scottie Scheffler at Augusta National.
In the aftermath of that triumph, McIlroy found himself at the centre of an unusual debate after prominent ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith suggested the Northern Irishman had benefited from an “unfair advantage”.
The criticism centred on McIlroy’s decision to skip several PGA Tour signature events in the weeks leading up to the Masters.
Instead of competing elsewhere, he chose to make repeated visits to Augusta National, even flying in for practice rounds before returning home in time to have dinner with his wife Erica and daughter Poppy.
McIlroy later explained that he believed those trips were a more productive use of his time than playing tournaments in Houston or San Antonio.
Rory McIlroy appeared to poke fun at suggestions he enjoyed an “unfair advantage” at this year’s Masters after joking that he had practically moved into Aronimink Golf Club ahead of the PGA Championship
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Smith argued that “nobody else” had been afforded the same opportunity, a claim that drew widespread ridicule.
Fellow professionals Michael Kim and Kevin Kisner were among those to defend McIlroy, with Kisner dismissing the suggestion as “the dumbest argument ever”.
Now, with attention turning to the PGA Championship, McIlroy could not resist a playful response when asked how he had prepared for Aronimink.
“Just played it every day,” he said with a grin.
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The tongue-in-cheek remark appeared to reference the criticism he faced after the Masters, before he clarified that he had made only a single reconnaissance trip to the course.
McIlroy previously competed at Aronimink during the 2018 BMW Championship, but said the venue is now playing very differently.
“We played the BMW there in 2018, but the course played a lot differently,” he explained.
“It was wet in 2018 and the greens didn’t play as fast or as severe as what I felt like they played last week when I played.”
He added: “It’s not a long golf course, but the big defence is the greens and they can tuck the pins away if they want to.
“It was nice to get an early look at it.
“It just means that the week of the tournament you’re not under pressure to play a lot of holes.”
McIlroy expects to limit his preparation to nine holes on Tuesday and nine on Wednesday, noting that PGA Championship practice rounds are often “excruciatingly long”.
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His comments came after a tied-19th finish at the Truist Championship.
McIlroy opened with 17 consecutive pars before birdieing the final hole of his first round, later carding two rounds of 67 around a disappointing third-round 75.
He was also seen limping during Sunday’s final round, but quickly reassured fans there is no major injury concern.
The issue is a blister beneath the toe nail on his right foot.
“I’ll be okay,” McIlroy said.