FLOURTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Things are getting back to normal for Rory McIlroy, and it's anything but routine for this week’s Truist Championship at the Philadelphia Cricket Club, the sixth of eight signature events on the PGA Tour this season.
McIlroy is playing in an individual tournament for the first time since winning the Masters and becoming the sixth golfer to complete the career grand slam. He teamed with fellow Irishman Shane Lowry at last month's Zurich Classic and the pair finished 12th. Now, he's returning to action after a short break.
“I’m excited to get back to being a golfer," McIlroy said. “It’s nice to get back into the routine again and get back to what I know how to do.”
McIlroy is the defending champion and a four-time winner of this event. The 36-year-old said celebrating his Masters victory is behind him and he's looking forward to the next few months.
First, his attention is on the Truist that begins Thursday. A winner of the event in 2010, 2015, 2021 and 2024, McIlroy doesn't have the luxury of trying to go back-to-back on the same course.
The event was moved to Philly Cricket this year while the tournament's usual home, Quail Hollow in North Carolina, prepares to host next week's PGA Championship.
“The last two times I’ve won the Truist Championship, I haven’t been able to defend on the same golf course the next year,” McIlroy said. "We won in ’21 and then played Potomac, and won last year and then we’re here.
“So it doesn’t quite feel like a defense."
This week’s field in the no-cut event will be tested by Philly Cricket’s Wissahickon Course for the first time. The layout in the golf-rich Philadelphia suburbs plays just over 7,100 yards and a par 70.
The oldest country club in the U.S., founded in 1854, the layout was designed by club member A.W. Tillinghast and opened in 1922. It underwent restoration just over a decade ago and has hosted a number of notable events, including last year’s USGA Amateur Four-Ball Championship and the 2016 Constellation Senior Players Championship.
The signature event is missing world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler, who won for the first time in 2025 last week at his hometown Byron Nelson, where he matched the PGA Tour’s 72-hole scoring record.
Third-ranked Xander Schauffele returns to competition for the first time since a tie for 18th place at the RBC Heritage in April and will defend his PGA Championship title next week.
Justin Thomas is coming off a victory at the RBC Heritage and, at No. 5, has his highest ranking since holding the same spot in 2022.
McIlroy and others have described the Wissahickon layout as “old school” and seemed excited to have the event staged at the venerable layout.
The players will face large landing areas, not-so-penal rough and tricky greens. Expectations of how the course holds up against today's pros drew varied responses.
“It’s very similar to a lot of these old school courses that have been renovated over the past few years. A lot of trees have been taken out. The green complexes are, for me, the interesting thing about the golf course,” McIlroy said.
“A little simple off the tee ... but making sure with the second shots that you’re below the hole and trying to get to learn the greens a little bit more.”
Thomas is a fan of Philly Cricket and was hopeful that an early forecast of inclement weather on Thursday and Friday doesn't diminish the course's defenses against the top-flight field.
“I love these kinds of designs,” he said. “They’re fun. ... They’re very specific in terms of what the conditions give us. ... It is meant to play firm and fast, especially the greens.”
Schauffele expects a low score to win.
“For some reason, whenever courses seem to be really, really hard, guys seem to shoot low,” he said. “I think this course is kind of the middle of the road in terms of difficulty. I think there’s some hard holes on there and some holes that are really gettable.”
Charitable trust
The Truist Championship is a one-off stop for the PGA Tour in the Philadelphia area, yet is leaving a lasting mark.
Truist earlier this week announced a $750,000 donation to the Cobbs Creek Foundation in support of the continued revitalization of the late Charlie Sifford’s home course and one of the nations first inclusive golf facilities.
Cobbs Creek opened in 1916 and is one of eight golf courses in the National Black Golf Hall of Fame. The restoration includes a Tiger Woods’ foundation TGR Learning Lab and Jordan Spieth’s foundation contributed $250,000 that funded the construction of a practice putting green.
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