Xander Schauffele has criticised the PGA Championship's driver testing procedures following the controversy surrounding Rory McIlroy.
The reigning Claret Jug holder expressed his dissatisfaction with the current system after playing alongside McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler during the first two rounds at Quail Hollow.
The controversy prompted a statement from Chief Championship Officer Kerry Haigh on Saturday night.
Schauffele has now weighed in on the situation, suggesting that the current approach to equipment testing is inadequate and unfair to competitors.
Xander Schauffele has criticised the PGA Championship's driver testing procedures following the controversy surrounding Rory McIlroy
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His main criticism centres on the selective nature of equipment testing at major championships.
"I think they should test everyone's driver. It's not right to just test 50 guys," Schauffele told Golfweek.
"It just doesn't make sense if you're in it for the spirit [of the game]."
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Xander Schauffele and Rory McIlroy both struggled at this year's PGA Championship
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The American golfer emphasised that the purpose of testing should be to maintain fairness across the entire field of competitors.
"The whole point of it is to protect the integrity of the field. If you don't test everyone across the board, I don't think you're protecting the whole field," he added.
His comments reflect growing concerns about consistency in equipment regulation at elite tournaments.
Schauffele's stance on equipment testing appears to be informed by his own experience at The Open in 2019.
At Royal Portrush, the American was told his driver was non-conforming and could not be used in competition, a situation that clearly left an impression.
This personal encounter with equipment regulations has seemingly shaped his perspective on how testing should be conducted at major championships.
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Having experienced the consequences of failing an equipment test firsthand, Schauffele has maintained his position that comprehensive testing is the only fair approach, rather than the current system which examines only a percentage of players' equipment.
In a surprising twist, Schauffele suggested that tournament leader Scottie Scheffler may have encountered similar driver issues to McIlroy but managed to address them without public scrutiny.
"I think Scott is winning the tournament and I think he switched to his backup, too," Schauffele revealed.
Rory McIlroy struggled at this year's PGA Championship as he finished three-over
REUTERS"See you don't even know because he's so good."
He explained that modern equipment representatives make such transitions manageable for players.
"We can deal with it because the [equipment] reps are so good now. Do it to everybody, not just a third of the guys and if a player has a hot driver they're still playing the tournament. Just my take," Schauffele concluded.
