NEWTOWN SQUARE, PA. — What’s the deal?

The greatest driver of the ball in the game today — and possibly ever — can’t drive it straight right now.

Rory McIlroy has lost his mojo with the big stick. McIlroy didn’t resemble the No. 2-ranked player in the world fresh off winning the Masters for the second consecutive year in Thursday’s opening round of the PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club.

He struggled to a frustrating 4-over-par 74 , hitting just 35 percent of the fairways.

When asked to evaluate his round, McIlroy was succinct.“Sh-t,’’ he said.

Asked to elaborate, he said, “I’m just not driving the ball well enough. It’s been a problem all year, for the most part. I miss it right and then I want to try to correct it. And then I’ll overdo it, and I’ll miss it left. It’s a little bit of back-and-forth that way.

“That’s pretty frustrating, especially when I pride myself on driving the ball well. Once I get under the gun, it just seems like it starts to go a little bit wayward on me. I started missing fairways.“I missed the fairway right on four, the fairway right on six, the fairway right on seven, fairway right on nine. Then obviously you start missing it just off the edges of these greens, it gets tricky.’’

Warning: Graphic Language

According to The Athletic stats, Thursday was McIlroy’s 990th official PGA Tour round and the first time he’s ever carded bogey or worse on the final four holes of an opening round.

The last player to open the PGA Championship with a round of 74 or higher to go on and win was Payne Stewart in 1989.

“I just need to try to figure it out,’’ he said. “I honestly thought I’d figured it out. Coming in here, I hit it well on Sunday at Quail Hollow, and then hit it good at home on Monday [and] hit it decent [Wednesday].’’

Major championships are becoming problematic for Bryson DeChambeau.

Since he won the 2024 U.S. Open, DeChambeau had played in six major championships entering this week’s PGA at Aronimink Golf Club and missed the cut in three of them.

Unless he goes low in Friday’s second round, DeChambeau will be trunk slamming for the second consecutive major this year (he missed the cut at the Masters).

He was tied for 120th in the field, ahead of only eight players, when he completed his opening round Thursday.

The You Tube and LIV Golf sensation struggled to a stunning 6-over-par 76 in the first round and it looked even uglier than that at times, with five bogeys, one double bogey and an errant shot that ended up coming to rest on the staircase of a hospitality tent on the second hole.When his round was over, DeChambeau went directly to the practice range in search of answers.

Jon Rahm shot a 1-under-par 69 that was buoyed by a hole-out eagle 3 on the par-5 second hole.

On the seventh hole, he got frustrated after a shot, swiped at the ground and sent a divot flying into the face of a volunteer. Rahm immediately apologized. “I couldn’t feel any worse,’’ Rahm said. “That’s why I was there apologizing. I need to somehow track him down to give him a present because that’s inexcusable and for something that could be completely avoidable.’’

Brooks Koepka, one of only three players to win at least three PGA Championships (along with Jack Nicklaus’ five and Tiger Woods’ four), opened with a 1-under 69 that should have been a lot better if not for his putting.

“Every round just seems to be the worst (score) I can shoot,’’ he said after the round. “The putter is absolutely horrendous. Ball-striking is absolutely phenomenal. That’s been the story of the year. Hopefully we can figure out a way to turn this around. It’s tough to kind of build any confidence when you’re not putting well.’’

Jordan Spieth’s quiet pursuit of completing the career Grand Slam, needing only a PGA title to do it, began well as he shot 69 and is right in contention.

This is his 10th try at completing the Slam.

Spieth said he feels “very, very’’ positive about the rest of the week because Thursday “was one of those rounds where I feel like I played better than I scored.’’

Chris Gabriele, the only Met Area club pro in the field this week, from Old Westbury Golf and Country Club, shot a 6-over 76 in his first major championship round.

Michael Block, the club pro from California who finished tied for 15th at Oak Hill in 2023, shot an even-par 70 and not surprisingly is the low club pro.