Rory McIlroy was struggling with a foot problem during his first practice round ahead of the US PGA Championship.
The Northern Irishman, who is bidding to win back-to-back majors at Aronimink Golf Club in south west Philadelphia, revealed during last week’s Truist Championship that he had a blister on the small toe of his right foot.
McIlroy arrived at the course on Monday and addressed the media on Tuesday morning, appearing in good spirits, but reportedly ripped the nail off his toe earlier this week.
The 37-year-old ended his practice round after a few holes, having been seen limping and at one point taken his shoe off to assess the problem, but had previously done extensive range and short-game practice.
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Rory McIlroy embracing ‘perks’ of golf success as he targets more major glory
McIlroy is due to begin his bid for a seventh major title alongside Jon Rahm and Jordan Spieth at 8.40am local time on Thursday (1.40pm BST).
Earlier, McIlroy had underlined his motivation after landing successive Masters titles, saying: “Coming into this tournament feels a lot different than what it did last year.
“I feel like I’ve got some nice clear road ahead to try to get some more of these majors.”
