PGA Championship: Rory McIlroy has distraction to cope with on eve of second golf major as he seeks to end drought
- Northern Irishman is coming off two straight wins, and the venue is Valhalla – site of his last major championship 10 years ago
- But news of his impending divorce from his wife of seven years is leading to curiosity about how this will affect his game
Rory McIlroy has all the momentum he could want heading into the PGA Championship as he tries to end a drought in the majors that has lasted a decade.
He also has a major distraction.
McIlroy is coming off two straight victories, one of them with Irish pal Shane Lowry in New Orleans, the other an exquisite back nine at Quail Hollow to rally past Xander Schauffele last week in the Wells Fargo Championship.
The PGA Championship is at Valhalla, site of his last major championship 10 years ago. And if that wasn’t enough, rain has pounded an already soft course with more showers expected – the conditions that favour power and aggressive play, right up McIlroy’s alley.
The distraction is an impending divorce from his wife of seven years, a stunning turn of events in so many ways. There was no public hint of any trouble, and most peculiar of all is the timing.
The petition to divorce in Palm Beach County, Florida, came on Monday – the day after he won at Quail Hollow and the day before he made his way to Kentucky for the PGA Championship. The news broke a day before he held a pre-tournament news conference.