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Rory McIlroy was confronted with a boisterous crowd at Aronimink as he climbed the leaderboard at the PGA Championship but insisted it didn't put him off his game. He and Brooks Koepka teed off together in Philadelphia for the 108th edition of the tournament, drawing the largest gallery after Bryson DeChambeau missed the cut at his second major of the season. DeChambeau had attracted a substantial following on Thursday and Friday, but with his early exit, the majority of fans appeared to gravitate towards the 2026 Masters champion and his playing partner, former LIV Golf star Koepka.

Despite beer prices reaching around $17 (£12.75) at Aronimink Golf Club, with complimentary food helping to offset the cost, the atmosphere was lively and the Philadelphia crowd was in full voice. The unusual layout of the course saw Koepka and McIlroy allow a separate group to pass through in order to tee off on the ninth hole before making their way to their own balls on the 417-yard 11th. This provided a chance for fans to eagerly congregate around them with phones at the ready and, as the group moved forward to play their second shots, McIlroy briefly stepped away for a bathroom break. "Where's Rory," spectators in the crowd began to murmur as Koepka advanced along the fairway. He reappeared from the facilities and the cheers erupted.

"Lets gooo Rory!" called out numerous fans. "Are the pins easier today, Rory? Any complaints?" asked another.

The latter comment appeared to be a reference to the fact that McIlroy voiced concerns on Friday regarding the pin placements during the opening two rounds. He wasn't the only one to face such issues, with Scottie Scheffler also speaking out on the matter.

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McIlroy registered a birdie on the 11th hole before teeing off on 12, and as he strode forward a small contingent started chanting, "USA, USA!" The behaviour came just months after the Ryder Cup, when heckles from a section of the crowd verged on toxicity, while some spectators appeared divided over their feelings towards the Northern Irishman to the point that a police officer intervened to quieten them down.

"I can hear your Irish accent," said one fan who appeared less than enthused by McIlroy's presence. Nonetheless, the two-time PGA Championship winner appeared unfazed and ended moving day in a tie for seventh.

When asked if the boisterous crowd affected him, McIlroy said no. "Again, 103 out of 104 weeks, I get pretty good support everywhere I go. It's just that one week every - or one week every four years, I guess it is, that most of the crowd are on the other side, and that's fine," he continued.

"If I were them, I'd be on the US side, too. But no, I do, I feel like I get a lot of support anywhere I go, and I'm very fortunate and very grateful for that."

McIlroy found himself well down the field after the opening round thanks to the four-over he carded on Thursday. He now has a chance to become only the fifth ever player to claim a major championship after sitting 50th or lower on the leaderboard following the first round.

Now standing at 3-under for the major, three strokes adrift of leader Alex Smalley, he is firmly back in contention. Koepka isn't far behind on -1 but a fourth career PGA Championship win will be a tall order.