Rory McIlroy was forced to abandon his practice round ahead of the PGA Championship after suffering discomfort from a toe injury at Aronimink Golf Club.
Despite the setback, McIlroy is still expected to compete when the year’s second major begins on Thursday near Philadelphia.
The world number two had completed only three holes of practice before leaving the course in a golf cart after appearing to struggle with pain in his right foot.
Earlier in the day, McIlroy revealed he had removed the nail from his little toe earlier in the week.
“Softened it up in the shower and just ripped it off,” the Masters champion joked while showing reporters the injury during his pre-tournament press conference.
According to reports, McIlroy was seen limping on the third hole and removed his shoe at one stage before deciding to stop his session on the fourth tee.
McIlroy Chasing Back-To-Back Major Titles
The 37-year-old is aiming to win consecutive majors after successfully defending his Masters Tournament title last month.
Victory this week would also move him a step closer to an unprecedented calendar-year Grand Slam.
McIlroy said he enjoyed taking time away from golf following his Augusta triumph before returning to prepare for the busy major season.
“Major championship wins don’t come along that often,” he told BBC Sport.
“The further I get on in my career, the more I realise how special these moments are.”
His preparations included working closely with long-time coach Michael Bannon in Florida after skipping the PGA Tour event at Doral earlier this month.
McIlroy returned to competition at last week’s Truist Championship at Quail Hollow Club, where he finished tied for 19th.
Although disappointed with the result, he insisted the tournament helped sharpen his game ahead of the PGA Championship.
“There’s still a lot that I learned about my game,” McIlroy said.
“I feel good about where my game is heading into this week.”
McIlroy Eyes Historic Achievement
No golfer has ever completed all four modern major titles in the same calendar year.
Tiger Woods remains the only player to hold all four majors simultaneously after completing the “Tiger Slam” across 2000 and 2001.
McIlroy admitted the achievement is possible but extremely difficult.
“There’s a reason no one’s been able to do it before in the history of the game,” he said.
“Major championships are won with grit and determination and hitting the shots under pressure when you need to.”
The Northern Irishman is expected to face strong competition this week from world number one Scottie Scheffler, while Tommy Fleetwood, Matt Fitzpatrick and Cameron Young are also among the contenders.
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