‘Why people hate you’: Golf Insider’s take on Rory McIlroy’s actions after driver change at PGA Championship turns golf world against him

Golf analyst Daniel Rapaport was criticized for his latest take on Rory McIlroy's driver ban ahead of the 2025 PGA Championship. Earlier this week, McIlroy's TaylorMade driver was declared 'non-conforming', according to reports by SiriusXM PGA Tour radio.

Ever since, the 2025 Masters champion has seemingly struggled to find his footing at the ongoing PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. His performance this week comes as a shock given it is a golf course that he has dominated repeatedly in the past.

Rory McIlroy at the 2025 PGA Championship - Source: Getty

During a driver test ahead of the Major event, McIlroy was forced to change his driver last minute as the USGA apparently deemed it 'non-conforming'.

Golf analyst Daniel Rapaport shared his take on this situation with a post on X. He wrote:

"What is there to comment on? There's a rule, they test to make sure drivers follow the rule, it failed the test. Riveting."

Rapaport received flak for his comment and golf fans shared their thoughts on the matter. Here are some reactions to the golf journalist's take:

One fan commented:

"good example of why people hate you buddy"

Another pointed out how Rapaport's comment does not help the narrative:

"No commenting is the issue for him. People will tie it to the Masters win. Most fans have zero idea how this works and will think he was playing an illegal driver. Don’t act like you don’t know this. You are not helping the narrative."

"Weird for a media guy to be against questions," one fan wrote.

"You are insufferable!" was another comment.

"And you call yourself a sports journalist😂😂," a fan reacted.

Another person pointed out the obviousness of the situation:

"Cmon, Dan. A “nonconforming” driver might prompt some questions"

PGA Tour player Johnson Wagner backed Rory McIlroy after his driver was banned ahead of the Major tournament. Wagner stated that it was a 'sophisticated testing system' and said that the drivers fail frequently when tested with no fault of the player. He went on to say that for a hard-hitter such as McIlroy, it's common for the face of the driver to thin out eventually.

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How has Rory McIlroy performed at the PGA Championship so far?

In his 17th appearance at the Major, Rory McIlroy stood in a tie for the 62nd after the first two rounds. The Northern Irish golfer shot a three-over-par 74 in round one and a two-under-par 69 in round two.

Rory McIlroy at the PGA Championship - Source: Imagn

McIlroy made three bogeys and a double bogey in the first round. Though he recovered with a few birdies in the next round, he shot four bogeys again in round two.