Rory pleased with new driver despite 1-over 71

The early returns on the most talked-about driver in golf were positive, even if the scorecard didn't necessarily reflect that for Rory McIlroy.

The Masters champ was encouraged by his performance with his new driver in wet conditions at TPC Toronto despite shooting a 1-over 71 at the RBC Canadian Open.

"I actually felt like I played OK," McIlroy said afterward, according to ASAP Sports. "There was a couple of shots in there, it was my first outing with a new driver, and I felt like that went pretty well. I hit some drives that I liked and that I liked to see, so that was encouraging."

The Canadian Open represents McIlroy's first start since his driver was deemed nonconforming prior to the PGA Championship last month. He declined to speak to media each of the four days at Quail Hollow, a decision he admitted Wednesday was partially based on the leak that his driver failed.

Now that the issue is seemingly in the rearview, McIlroy can now focus on getting his new equipment dialed in before next week's U.S. Open at Oakmont. The notoriously difficult layout will have five-inch rough just off each fairway, a setup that will demand accuracy from all players in the field.

With that in mind, McIlroy planned on heading to the range Thursday afternoon to do more work on getting fully comfortable off the tee.

"The one I had been playing with previously, when I missed with it, I was a little bit left. Then my miss with this one is a little bit right. It's just trying to figure that out and manage it a little bit," McIlroy said. "It's a nice feeling to get up the middle of the fairway and fully release it and know it's not going to go left on you."

McIlroy will need a solid day driving the ball if he's going to get back in contention this week. He sits six shots off the lead with the afternoon wave on the course just outside Toronto.