Rory McIlroy is embracing a refreshingly relaxed mindset as he gears up for the US PGA Championship in Pennsylvania—so relaxed, in fact, that he didn't think twice about performing a bit of DIY surgery on his own foot. The six-time major winner casually revealed he "softened up" a troublesome toenail in the shower before simply "ripping it off," now sporting a plaster-protected little toe and planning to go up half a shoe size for the tournament at Aronimink near Philadelphia.

This easygoing attitude marks a complete transformation from last year's PGA Championship, when McIlroy was a tetchy figure who largely avoided the media. Back then, he was still recovering from the emotional high of completing his career Grand Slam at the 2025 Masters, unsure where to go next after such a monumental achievement. Now, having become just the fourth player to successfully defend the Green Jacket—with a dramatic playoff win over Justin Rose—he's taking time to savor the moment.

"Major championship wins don't come along that often," McIlroy told BBC Sport. "A little more often for me in the past couple years than the previous decade, so yeah, I wanted to enjoy it. The further I get on in my career, the more I start to realize how special these moments are." He spent quality time celebrating with his wife Erica, daughter Poppy, and his parents, even attending the state banquet for King Charles' recent Washington DC visit—an invitation that led him to skip the PGA Tour's Doral event.

But don't mistake this relaxed demeanor for a lack of focus. McIlroy has already flown out his lifelong coach Michael Bannon to his Florida base to fine-tune his game ahead of the remaining three majors, starting with this week's PGA Championship. With back-to-back major wins within reach, the golf world will be watching to see if his newfound calm—and that patched-up toe—can carry him to another historic victory.