Scottie Scheffler uses replacement driver en route to PGA Championship win

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Scottie Scheffler didn’t just win the PGA Championship by five shots – he did so with a new driver in the bag.

Equipment testing was a prominent storyline this week at Quail Hollow Club following a report from SiriusXM PGA TOUR Radio that Rory McIlroy was among a group of players whose drivers had failed an equipment test conducted by the USGA ahead of the tournament. The test, known as a Characteristic Time (CT) test, measures the springlike effect of a driver face – something that can change over time as the club gradually wears from continued use.

The report was not confirmed by McIlroy, who declined to speak with the media after each of his four rounds. Having won four times prior at Quail Hollow, McIlroy finished T47 and found just 26 of 56 fairways. The CT test is one that is regularly performed at both majors and TOUR events.

In the wake of his third major title, Scheffler shared that he was among the group of players whose drivers were deemed non-conforming early in the week, leading to him using a new driver head for competition rounds at Quail Hollow.

“My driver did fail me this week,” Scheffler said. “We had a feeling that it was going to be coming, because I’ve used that driver for over a year. I was kind of fortunate for it to last that long, I felt like.”

While the PGA of America conducts the PGA Championship, the USGA and The R&A oversee governance of factors like equipment performance. The PGA of America released a statement Saturday about the on-site testing process, which did not mention any player by name.

“We can confirm that the USGA was invited to do club testing at the PGA Championship, at the PGA of America’s request,” wrote Chief Championships Officer Kerry Haigh. “That testing program is consistent with the same level of support that the USGA provides to the PGA TOUR and other championships, as part of their regular programs for driver testing. The standard process is for about a third of the field to be randomly tested under the program. That was the case at Quail Hollow this week.

“Finding driver heads that have crept over the line of conformance is not an unusual occurrence, especially for clubs that are hit thousands of times over a long period of time. The results are kept confidential to protect players, who are unaware the club has fallen out of conformance and (are) not responsible for it falling out of conformance other than hitting the club thousands of times.

“Players are simply asked to change heads if necessary, and all do without issue. To publicly identify players whose clubs did not conform can lead to that player being questioned unnecessarily. Neither the USGA nor the PGA of America have any concerns about player intent.”

Scheffler shared that he had been preparing for his driver to eventually fail the test, given that continued wear in practice and competition will ultimately cause the clubface to cross the threshold for a spring-like effect.

“We were prepared for it,” he said. "Actually the week of the Byron, we were really focused on getting a backup for that tournament and this one. ... Like I said, we were really prepared. So it wasn't that big of a deal."

The equipment change did little to slow down Scheffler, who was coming in off a win at THE CJ CUP Byron Nelson in which he tied the TOUR’s all-time scoring record. This week at Quail Hollow, he found 35 of 56 fairways and finished fifth for the week in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee.

In fact, Scheffler’s feedback from the podium wasn’t aimed at the testing process – it was instead around the notion that, if anything, officials should increase the scope of the regular tests.

“I would argue that if we’re going to test the drivers, we need to be even more robust in the way we test them. … I feel like we’re almost going halfway with it right now,” Scheffler said. “It’s a newer rule that we haven’t quite gotten right yet. I think we have some stuff to figure out. I think if we’re going to do it, we might as well do it right, get even more robust, and get even more strict. You can test guys every week if you want. I mean, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t.”