As Bryson DeChambeau was subjected to boos, Rory McIlroy rolled back the years and brought on the cheers. McIlroy’s demeanour after a first round of 71 at this US PGA Championship was so downbeat that the prospect of him claiming the Wanamaker Trophy for a third time felt about as likely as him signing up for LIV Golf. How easy it was to forget that nobody at the summit of this sport can flick their switch like Rory McIlroy.
This was a curious major afternoon. Oak Hill turned into Soak Hill as rain battered upstate New York. DeChambeau, one of LIV’s poster boys, was audibly heckled as he took to the first tee alongside fellow rebel Brooks Koepka. Crowds in this part of the United States are not known for their restraint but this was still a departure from the general atmosphere.
