Rory McIlroy was not alone in having to whip out a new driver ahead of the 2025 PGA Championship. Scottie Scheffler was also forced to make a last-minute drive swap before this weekend’s tournament.
McIlroy made headlines this week after his preferred driver was deemed “non-conforming” based on US Golf Association (USGA) standards. What was not as highly publicized was the fact that Scheffler’s primary driver had suffered the same fate before the tournament began. Scheffler also needed to give up his year-old driver for a newer model.
While McIlroy had a nightmare run with his new driver at Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, N.C., finishing tied for 47th at 3-over par, Scheffler thrived. Despite having to switch clubs at the last minute, Scheffler comfortably won the PGA Championship with a total score of -11 over four rounds — five strokes clear of any other golfer.
Scheffler addressed the driver issue as he spoke to the media after his third career major win, something McIlroy chose not to do throughout the week.
“So the driver testing is something that regularly happens on Tour,” said Scheffler, via The Athletic’s Hugh Kellenberger. “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.”
It’s a fairly common occurrence for drivers to be tested as golfers compete on the PGA Tour. Having drivers deemed “non-confirming” often happens once the clubs are worn down through regular use. Given how insanely hard the top golfers swing, it’s unsurprising for even the most sturdy models to get misshapen after a while.
Scheffler added that he believes the PGA Tour still has some things to figure out when it comes to testing drivers. The 28-year-old believes the testing should “get more robust and get even more strict” by testing every golfer weekly.
