Rory McIlroy faces possible PGA Championship fine after angry outburst at Aronimink

Paul McGinley has questioned whether Rory McIlroy could face disciplinary action after the Northern Irishman's angry outburst during the opening round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink.

McIlroy, who was level par through 12 holes, stepped onto the 453-yard par-4 fourth looking to move under par for the day. 

But after pushing his tee shot well right of the fairway, frustration quickly boiled over.

“This is a wide fairway, dead straight hole,” said Sky Sports Golf analyst McGinley as McIlroy prepared to hit his drive.

McIlroy's shot faded more than expected and leaked into thick rough down the right side, and he was unhappy about it to say the least. 

The world number two immediately slammed his new TaylorMade Qi4D driver into the turf before appearing to shout an expletive picked up by the broadcast microphones.

“Oh Rory,” McGinley reacted on commentary.

The former Ryder Cup captain then raised the possibility that McIlroy’s actions could fall foul of golf’s updated conduct standards at the majors.

“There’s a new code of conduct in place for all the major championships now, and we saw it at The Masters,” McGinley said, referencing recent on-course frustrations shown by both Robert MacIntyre and Sergio Garcia at Augusta National in April. 

“I don’t know if that’s considered a breach or not.”

Fellow commentator Andrew Coltart attempted to lighten the moment by joking that Dame Laura Davies would “be in trouble every week” given her long-standing habit of driving her tee into the ground with her club after tee shots.

Davies, sitting alongside Coltart and McGinley in the commentary booth, laughed: “Some things you’ve just got to do to get the ball around.”

McIlroy escaped further damage when his driver survived the outburst intact. 

Players have previously snapped driver shafts during moments of frustration, but the six-time major champion was able to continue using the club for the remainder of his round.

The mistake proved costly though as McIlroy came up short with his approach into the fourth hole, before leaving a delicate chip on the slope below the flag. 

The career grand slam champion eventually two-putted for bogey to slip to one-over par. 

McIlroy's tantrum was not the first sign of frustration from him during his round, either. 

Earlier in the day, the Northern Irishman turned towards spectators to warn against making noise during his swing.

“Just with your camera... just after we hit... thank you,” said McIlroy as he addressed someone in the gallery.

Despite the slow start, McIlroy remains within touching distance of the early leaders as he continued his bid for back-to-back major victories this season.

No player in the modern era has completed the calendar Grand Slam by winning all four majors in the same year.