CHARLOTTE—Quail Hollow should have been a victory lap for Rory McIlroy. He was finally unburned by the quest to show he could still be the player he once was, the career Slam had been completed. Freed up from the existential weight,

Rory McIlroy failed to make his mark at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow this week, after a change to his driver heading into the tournament seemingly took its toll

There is precedent for what Rory McIlroy will need to do at the PGA Championship to win, but he is not going to like what that is.