Rory McIlroy happy to contest US PGA in locked-down California

Rory McIlroy remains content with the playing of the first major of a disrupted golfing year in California, despite coronavirus restrictions returning to the state just three weeks before the US PGA Championship is due to start.

Harding Park in San Francisco will host the event from 6 August. No spectators will be allowed on site but question marks remain after California introduced a second lockdown. Covid-19 cases had surged after the earlier easing of guidelines.

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“There’s a lot of places in the United States right now where there’s a lot of cases,” said McIlroy. “Whether this is the second wave or still part of the first wave … I think there’s no substitute for washing your hands and social distancing and making sure that you’re doing the right things. I think if everyone does that and everyone is responsible, I have no problem going to California and playing a golf tournament there.”

McIlroy, who returns to competitive action on Thursday at the Memorial Tournament in Ohio, admits the absence of galleries during the resumption of the PGA Tour has had an impact on his thought process. The Northern Irishman has finished 32nd, 41st and 11th since the Tour’s restart.

“I haven’t necessarily been in contention the last few times that we’ve played without fans, but if anything I’ve realised that it’s very hard for me to keep focus out here,” the world No 1 said. “I feel like when there’s fans and there’s that energy and the atmosphere, it’s easy to get into that mindset that you need to get into. That’s what we’re used to, that’s what we do.

“But when you don’t have that, I felt the first three weeks my mind was wandering a little bit. It’s sort of easy to lose focus, easy to lose concentration. I think some of the mistakes I was making were because of that.”

Michael Bannon, his coach, visited his star pupil in Florida last week. “It was the first time I’d seen him since the start of February,” McIlroy said.

Intriguingly, McIlroy gave a nod of approval towards Bryson DeChambeau. The world No 7 has undergone a dramatic change in physicality and has increased his driving length. Cynicism towards the American’s approach is plentiful but McIlroy disagrees. “More power to him,” he said. “He’s making golf interesting and he’s certainly getting people to talk about him. He’s won already [at Detroit], he’s played some good events and been in contention, so it’s working for him.”

McIlroy has Tiger Woods and Brooks Koepka for company in the Memorial’s marquee grouping of days one and two.