Rory McIlroy flexes for the crowd after taking a huge lead in PGA long drive contest

Rory McIlroy’s muscles and workout regimen have oddly become the topic of much conversation in recent weeks. There was that Johnny Miller digression at The Open, wherein the lead NBC analyst spent consecutive days on the weekend at Troon saying Rory’s time in the gym and obsession with his muscles and “tight shirts” had negatively impacted his ability to win major championships.

On Monday morning, a sports psychologist on Golf Channel’s Morning Drive program also gave Rory low mental marks, partly because of all of Rory’s shirtless poses on Instagram and “maybe he’s more interested in working out than playing golf.”

Rory no doubt hears these critiques. So on Tuesday at the PGA Championship, where they are holding the annual Long Drive Competition on the first tee, he went up there and smashed one 345 yards in the fairway. It was a good 30 yards past the previous leader. Then he decided to add a little extra.

When you reach the level that Rory has, there are always going to be critiques if you go a handful of majors without winning. McIlroy has seemed particularly frosty this summer and has had no time for it. You would assume that will continue all week at the PGA, and that is just fine with us.

This workout concern was a line of thinking that Brandel Chamblee also used early in the season at Riviera, where Rory responded thusly.