Burger King is giving its chicken nuggets a makeover after customers told the fast-food chain the product was falling short.

The company said it received thousands of calls, texts and comments from guests earlier this year criticizing its nuggets as “rubbery,” “dry” and “disappointing,” prompting Burger King to rethink the item.

The revamped nuggets, along with a refreshed lineup of dipping sauces, will be available beginning Sept. 1, according to the company.

“We take Guest feedback seriously, and when we received thousands of texts, calls and comments telling us our nuggets needed a total overhaul, we listened,” said Amy Alarcon, head chef for Burger King U.S. and Canada.

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Alarcon said Burger King evaluated the chicken, breading and sauces as part of the overhaul and brought customers into the testing process, including children the company described as some of its toughest critics.

For consumers, the changes extend beyond the nuggets themselves.

Burger King is also updating three of its established dipping sauces — Honey Mustard, Buffalo and Sweet & Sour — while adding a limited-time Special Savory Sauce.

In this photo illustration, a Whopper meal is seen at a Burger King restaurant on Oct. 25, 2024, in New York City. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

The new sauce combines creamy, tangy and mildly spicy flavors with BBQ seasoning, ketchup, garlic, onion and black pepper, Burger King said.

The nugget revamp is the latest example of Burger King leaning on direct customer feedback as it looks to improve both its menu and restaurant experience.

Pedestrians walk past a Burger King in Spain. (Xavi Lopez/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Earlier this year, the chain launched a listening initiative designed to give customers a more direct way to weigh in on the brand. Burger King has since pointed to that feedback while rolling out changes to products, including its signature Whopper, and other aspects of the guest experience.

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Burger King, founded in 1954, operates more than 19,000 restaurants in more than 120 countries and U.S. territories. Nearly all of its restaurants are operated by independent franchisees.

Greater New York Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Mark Jaffe, a founder and legal counsel for the Multicultural Business Coalition that is involved in suing over New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s controversial plans to open government-linked grocery stores in the Big Apple, described the initiative as “disastrous” for business owners, slamming the Democratic socialist’s administration as “heartless.”

“Government should not be in the business of taking out private enterprise. That is not what America’s about,” Jaffe told Fox News Digital during an interview on Tuesday.

A class-action suit, which alleges that the plan runs afoul of New York civil rights laws and the state Constitution’s equal protection clause, seeks relief and damages, while another suit explicitly calls for permanently blocking the operation of “the municipal grocery stores, in absence of undertaking necessary studies and analysis.”

The group took legal action because the “administration wasn’t listening,” Jaffe said.

“They’re embarking on a plan that will be disastrous for people that are in business and creating jobs,” Jaffe said. “And the heartless administration feels that if you can’t compete with one city-run grocery store, you shouldn’t be in business. That’s just wrong.”

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani holds up bananas as he speaks at a food distribution center on July 27, 2026, in Brooklyn.  (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)

Mamdani plans to open five city-owned grocery stores, one in each borough, with the first location expected to open next year. 

“Under the model, the City will own the land and cover overhead costs like rent and construction. A private operator, selected through a request for proposals, will manage daily operations and be contractually required to pass savings directly to customers on a core basket of everyday staples,” an April press release noted.

Mamdani has said various items at the stores will be priced at 30% lower than normal retail prices.

“This core set of goods will include all fresh produce, meat and seafood along with 20 other essential items like cheese, milk and bread. Here’s how it will work: Once a month, our five city-run grocery stores will set prices for this core set of goods at 30% below typical retail prices,” he said last month.

But Jaffe argues that the mayor’s plan is not the right way to help those in need.

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“How can one store in East Harlem help feed the disadvantaged and struggling people that deserve to get nutritious food and affordable food? They can’t afford to get up to this store to buy a bag of groceries. They need to go shopping locally where they can do it quickly and conveniently. And there are so many better ways to get this done. You can use electronic debit cards. Their number, their research indicates that the average savings in this program may be $90 dollars a month. So give people who are in the target range that we should help $90 dollars a month and help support a local business,” he said.

Jaffe warned that people could purchase the discounted groceries from the government-linked stores only to turn around and resell the items, causing the municipal grocery stores to have insufficient quantities of those products in stock.

“If you study the history, I’ve never seen a government-run supermarket — whether it’s in Chicago or another country — that didn’t end up with empty shelves,” he noted. “And let me tell you why. If I wanted to buy, hypothetically, bananas, and I can get 30% off, what is to prevent me from getting all the bananas I could possibly fit in my cargo van and then selling them on the streets at 15% off? That’s American entrepreneurship. And without checks and balances, and I don’t think the city has any, this store will not even be sufficiently stocked.”

Jaffe floated the prospect of a third lawsuit.

“This is unfair competition. You might see a third lawsuit filed soon, because if any other company with unlimited resources did this to take advantage of the marketplace, it would be called anti-trust,” he asserted.

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Thirty million has been allocated for construction of the East Harlem government-linked grocery store, which is slated to open in 2029. 

Jaffe, who said he has spoken to and interviewed dozens of individuals knowledgeable about the “supermarket construction industry” who think that the store could be opened for nearer to $10 million, questioned where the remaining $20 million is going. “We have a word for it. It’s called patronage,” he said.

“If we get away with one store, what’s to stop them with their 100-year plan to make sure nobody owns a store anymore? The government owns everything,” but for those “lucky enough to be the privileged person and get a patronage job, they’ll take care of you.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Mamdani’s office on Wednesday.

Asked about the legal challenge on Monday, Mamdani said, “I continue to be fully confident in both the legality and the importance of our initiative to deliver five city-run grocery stores, one in each borough, to the people of our city.” 

“We are talking about a reflection of a cost of living crisis that has seen grocery prices increase by about 30% over the last few years,” he added. “And we’re also talking about delivering five city-run grocery stores in a city of eight-and-a-half million people that has more than a thousand grocery stores.”

“And we’ve seen, in fact, with Essex Street Market in Manhattan” and “Moore Street Market in Brooklyn, a model where the city has subsidized groceries, and it has not had a negative effect on bodegas around them or on grocery stores around them,” he said, adding, “I’m confident both in the legality of this, that it will stand up in court, and in the importance of delivering it.”

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When asked if there was anything he could do to aid bodega owners who think that they will lose income, Mamdani replied, “Absolutely. What we can do is continue with our approach citywide of looking for ways to cut costs and cut the regulations that so many bodegueros as well as grocery store owners have to jump through in order to do their work.”

An Atlanta woman who participated in a scheme that defrauded Amazon out of nearly $10 million was sentenced to over 16 years in federal prison on Wednesday, the Justice Department announced.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia said in a release that Brittany Hudson was sentenced to 16 years and three months in federal prison after she and her partner used a business relationship with Amazon to defraud the e-commerce giant.

Hudson was convicted in March of 30 felony offenses that involved wire fraud, money laundering, related conspiracy charges and a count related to the forgery of a federal judge’s signature.

“Hudson and her partner engineered a massive fraud scheme against Amazon, stealing nearly $10 million in just a few months,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Hudson then showed utter contempt for the law by forging a federal judge’s signature in a failed effort to defraud another company while out on bond. Today’s significant sentence, which must be served without the possibility of parole, holds her accountable for her crime spree.”

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MADRID, SPAIN – NOVEMBER 15: Two Amazon delivery vans, on 15 November, 2022 in Madrid, Spain. U.S. e-commerce giant Amazon is considering job cuts among its corporate and technology workforce of up to 10,000 employees. The layoffs are equivalent to 0 (Alejandro Martinez Velez/Europa Press via Getty Images / Getty Images)

From January 2022 to June 2022, Hudson and her partner, Kayricka Wortham, defrauded Amazon using a scheme that involved bogus vendors and invoices that they created in Amazon’s vendor system, according to the DOJ announcement. Wortham and another co-conspirator at Amazon approved the fake vendor profiles, which allowed them to submit invoices.

Hudson and Wortham then submitted over 1,000 fictitious invoices, falsely claiming the phony vendors had provided goods and services to Amazon. Wortham would approve the invoices, which led to Amazon transferring about $9.4 million to bank accounts that she, Hudson and their co-conspirators controlled.

Hudson and Wortham used the fraudulent funds to buy expensive real estate, including a nearly $1 million home in Smyrna, as well as luxury vehicles including a 2019 Lamborghini Urus, a 2021 Dodge Durango, a 2022 Tesla Model X, a 2018 Porsche Panamera, and a Kawasaki ZX636 motorcycle.

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Brittany Hudson and Kayricka Wortham forfeited the nearly $1 million home in Smyrna, Ga., they bought with funds derived from their Amazon fraud scheme. (U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia / Fox News)

The two faced federal fraud charges related to the scheme in September 2022. While they were out on bond, they attempted to defraud a franchising company by entering into an agreement to open a hookah lounge in Midtown Atlanta and falsely claimed their criminal charges had been dismissed. Those actions resulted in the revocation of their pretrial release.

To support that claim, they emailed counterfeit court documents that contained the forged signatures of former Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten, Sr. and Cobb County Magistrate Judge Norman L. Barnett, who was a prosecutor in the case. Hudson also emailed fake financial statements with inflated account balances to secure the deal.

“The sentencing in this case brings a brazen fraud operation to its inevitable conclusion – years behind bars for the criminals involved,” said Rob Donovan, special agent in charge of the U.S. Secret Service Atlanta Field Office. “Our office remains steadfast in our commitment to uncover fraud, protect victims, and work with our partners at the U.S. Attorney’s Office to bring criminals like this to justice.”

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In addition to her prison sentence, Hudson was ordered to pay $9,469,731.45 in restitution to Amazon, while the court entered a forfeiture money judgment of $7,859,135.54 and ordered Hudson to forfeit her residence in Smyrna and money seized from her bank account as fraudulent proceeds of her scheme.

Brittany Hudson and Kayricka Wortham were convicted of defrauding Amazon. Each was sentenced to prison time, as well as paying restitution and forfeiting luxury cars and property obtained with the fraudulent funds. (U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia / Fox News)

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Wortham was sentenced to 16 years in prison in June 2023, and was sentenced to an additional year in March 2026 after pleading guilty to forging the signature of a federal judge. She was also ordered to pay $9,469,731.45 in restitution, and forfeited over $3 million, the Smyrna home and vehicles.

A California McDonald’s employee allegedly shot a co-worker inside the restaurant Monday morning before the armed suspect was killed in a shootout when responding officers confronted him, authorities said.

The Lodi Police Department said officers responded to the McDonald’s on West Lodi Avenue at approximately 9:30 a.m. after dispatchers received a report of an armed suspect inside the restaurant.

When officers arrived, they heard gunfire coming from inside and discovered an employee who had been shot, according to police.

MULTIPLE PEOPLE KILLED IN SHOOTING AT IDAHO IN-N-OUT RESTAURANT, SUSPECT DEAD

Police identified the suspect as as 29-year-old Lodi resident Jonhatan Anguiano. He was pronounced dead at the scene. (Facebook / Lodi Police Department / Unknown)

Officers moved toward the sound of gunfire and encountered the armed suspect, leading to an officer-involved shooting, police said.

The suspect, identified by authorities as 29-year-old Lodi resident Jonhatan Anguiano, was pronounced dead at the scene.

The wounded employee, a woman, was taken to a local hospital and was in stable condition, according to police.

Authorities later confirmed Anguiano and the wounded woman were both employees of the McDonald’s, according to KCRA. Police have not disclosed a possible motive or detailed what led up to the shooting.

Police recovered a firearm from the scene of the shooting. (Facebook / Lodi Police Department / Unknown)

The restaurant remained closed Tuesday, with traffic cones blocking its parking lot as a cleaning company’s van sat outside, the outlet reported.

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Lodi City Councilmember Cameron Bregman, who lives about a block from the restaurant, told the outlet the violence was troubling for the small community.

“Number one, it’s unacceptable. But number two, it’s scary that crime hits so close to home,” Bregman said. “Lodi is better than this. And we should be better than this.”

Bregman also urged residents to wait for investigators to establish what happened as different accounts of the shooting circulated locally.

“The best thing I can do is let the police do the work and let the police release the reports,” he said.

A McDonald’s restaurant in California. (Tayfun Coskun/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images, File / Getty Images)

The shooting is being investigated under the San Joaquin County Officer Involved Critical Incident Protocol, with members of the Lodi Police Department, San Joaquin County District Attorney’s Office and California Department of Justice participating in the investigation.

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Authorities said the investigation remains ongoing and additional information will be released as it becomes available.

LYNN, MASS. — Kettle Cuisine, a manufacturer of fresh prepared foods including refrigerated and frozen soups, broths, sauces, sides and entrees across retail and foodservice customers, has named Peter Hall as chief executive officer. Hall succeeds Liam McClennon, who recently retired from the CEO position after nearly 11 years with the company.

Hall comes to the company from Kraft Heinz, where he recently was president the North American Elevation Business Unit.

Hall spent nearly 11 years at Kraft Heinz, holding various leadership positions and overseeing such brands as Heinz, Kraft and Philadelphia.

“Peter is the right leader to guide Kettle Cuisine through its next phase of growth,” said Nik Thukral, president at L Catterton, an investor in Kettle. “Kettle has longstanding customer relationships, differentiated culinary and manufacturing expertise, and significant opportunity ahead. Peter brings the strategic perspective, consumer orientation, and strong commercial capability to capitalize on those advantages and build on the company’s established position. We are excited to partner with Peter and the Kettle team as they build on the company’s momentum.”

McClennon began his tenure as CEO in August 2015. Before joining Kettle Cuisine, McClennon was CEO at Greencore USA. 

ORRVILLE, OHIO — The J.M. Smucker Co. said its Sweet Baked Snacks business, led by Hostess, has continued to show improvement as the company began fiscal 2027 with stronger-than-expected first-quarter results.

Sweet Baked Snacks net sales for the quarter ended July 31 declined 7% year over year to $236.5 million, with segment profit down 13% to $29.9 million, Orrville-based J.M. Smucker said. That compared with drops of 24% in net sales (10% excluding divestitures) and 54% in segment profit in the year-ago quarter.

Mark Smucker, chairman and chief executive officer, attributed the 2027 quarterly sales dip mainly to the impact of prior-year SKU rationalization and decreases in the convenience store channel but noted Hostess’ promising growth in US retail.

“We are encouraged by the recent performance of our Sweet Baked Snacks business in US retail channels, where net sales increased low-single digits, driven by double-digit growth for the Hostess Donettes brand,” he said. “This performance reflects our strategic focus on the brand, supported by expanded distribution, innovation and improving base-business trends.

“We are leveraging our deep retail relationships to expand the presence of the brand while building on promising results from recent innovations, including Donettes Churro Mini Donuts and a new Donettes sharing-size offering. Our larger pack sizes continue to perform well and demonstrate faster purchase cycles than traditional sizes, reinforcing the opportunity to drive incremental consumption and offer increased consumer value. We see continued opportunity to grow both our offerings and distribution.”

Net price realization lifted first-quarter net sales for Sweet Baked Snacks by 2 percentage points, primarily reflecting higher net pricing for snack cakes and donuts, according to J.M. Smucker. Volume/mix pulled down net sales by 8 percentage points, stemming mostly from decreases in snack cakes and breakfast, the company said.

“Volume/mix for donuts was neutral in the quarter,” said Tucker Marshall, chief financial officer and executive vice president of Frozen Handheld and Spreads and Sweet Baked Snacks. “Net price realization increased net sales by 2 percentage points, reflecting reduced trade investments in snack cakes and a list price increase for donuts. Segment profit decreased 13%, reflecting higher costs and unfavorable volume/mix, partially offset by higher net price realization and lower marketing spend.”

Smucker noted the convenience channel “remains challenged as traffic continues to be pressured.”

“Despite this backdrop, the Hostess Donettes brand continues to outperform the broader sweet baked goods category in this channel, reinforcing the brand’s relevance within the a.m. snacking occasion, where consumers are seeking quick, convenient and satisfying options,” he said. “We remain focused on strengthening the brand’s performance across channels while positioning it to benefit when convenience traffic improves.”

In June 2025, J.M. Smucker unveiled updated priorities for shoring up Hostess’ performance, with the focus narrowed to strengthening the portfolio, elevating execution and reigniting sustainable growth. Actions have included an SKU rationalization program to pare the brand’s item count by 25%; a focus shift to high-velocity, margin-accretive SKUs; and a decision to close Hostess’ Indianapolis production plant. The company also has formed a dedicated Sweet Baked Snacks sales organization to hone execution and boost the Hostess brand via culturally relevant marketing, refreshed packaging and consumer-led innovation.

“We continue to execute against our Sweet Baked Snacks stabilization plan,” Smucker said. “For fiscal year 2027, we continue to expect segment profit margin improvement compared to the prior year and see a path to further expansion over time.”

J.M. Smucker noted a 10% gain in volume/mix for Uncrustables in the first quarter.

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For the first quarter, J.M. Smucker had net income of $324.2 million, equal to $3.03 per share on the common stock, up from a loss of $43.9 million a year earlier. Adjusted net earnings — excluding the impact of income tax costs, amortization and other items — were $346.5 million, or $3.24 per share, up from $203.4 million, or $1.90 per share, a year ago, J.M. Smucker said. That topped Wall Street’s high-end forecast for adjusted earnings per share of $2.27.

Total net sales rose 5% to $2.22 billion from $2.11 billion in the prior-year period. Net price realization, fueled by higher net pricing for coffee, provided a 4-percentage-point lift to net sales, J.M. Smucker said. Also supplying a boost was a 1-percentage-point gain in volume/mix, mainly from increases for Uncrustables sandwiches and coffee, partially offset by decreases for sweet baked foods and peanut butter.

Among other business units, US Retail Frozen Handheld and Spreads saw net sales rise 3% to $499.3 million, with segment profit jumping 13% to $129.7 million.

“In Frozen Handheld and Spreads, net sales increased 3%, driven by double-digit growth for Uncrustables sandwiches, partially offset by decreases for Jif peanut butter and Smucker’s fruit spreads,” Smucker said. “Net sales growth for Uncrustables sandwiches was primarily driven by a 10% increase in volume/mix. We remain focused on scaling the Uncrustables brand as a key growth platform, while driving profitability and modernizing our category-leading spreads business.”

Uncrustables volume growth also gave a lift to the Away From Home business, as net sales grew 3% to $203.7 million and segment profit advanced 19% to $61.2 million.

US Retail Coffee net sales surged 13% to $807.8 million as higher net pricing across the portfolio hoisted sales by 10 percentage points, J.M. Smucker said. Volume/mix increased net sales by 2 percentage points, including gains for the Dunkin’ and Café Bustelo brands. Segment profit swelled by 124% to $300 million, boosted by tariff refunds and higher net pricing, the company said.

“We delivered a strong first quarter that exceeded our expectations and demonstrated continued momentum across the company,” Smucker said. “Our performance reflects the strength of our differentiated portfolio, disciplined execution against our strategic priorities, and the investments we continue to make in our brands and capabilities. Importantly, net sales increased 5%, including a 1 percentage point contribution from volume/mix, alongside improved profitability and strong earnings growth. Based on our first-quarter performance and expectations for the balance of the year, we raised our full-year outlook for net sales, adjusted earnings per share and free cash flow.”

J.M. Smucker now projects fiscal 2027 adjusted EPS of $10.50 to $11, up from $9.75 to $10.25 previously, and net sales declines of 1% to 2% versus the prior forecast of down 3% to 4%.

“Our updated guidance reflects stronger-than-anticipated momentum across the business and a favorable net benefit of approximately 60¢ related to the receipt of tariff refunds, which reflects the 84¢ benefit from tariff refunds received in the first quarter,” Marshall said. 

In May, the first part of Milburn’s report, which was commissioned by the government, said the reasons for the rise in rates among men were “complex”, but could be down to more health issues, the “erosion of traditional employment routes” and “a growing gap in educational outcomes”.

He also said the “Neet problem is grounded in social disadvantage” and highlighted higher rates among certain groups, including young people who:

The report warned that one in six young people would be out of work in five years without action, adding: “We are at risk of a lost generation.”

It said young jobseekers were submitting dozens, sometimes hundreds of applications, but rejections had become the norm.

Last week, analysis by the BBC found that competition for degree apprenticeships in England through the government’s “find an apprenticeship” service, for example, had quadrupled over the past three years.

The second, and final, instalment of Milburn’s report – including recommendations for how to tackle the problems – is expected in the coming weeks.

Additional reporting by Kate McGough, Erica Witherington, Rahib Khan and Miguel Roca-Terry

ATLANTA — Rory McIlroy has found a driver he trusts, and thanks to a shift in TaylorMade’s product strategy, he won’t have to give it up anytime soon.

Speaking Tuesday at the Tour Championship, McIlroy praised his equipment sponsor’s decision to move away from an annual driver release cycle, a change that will allow him and other TaylorMade staffers to continue using their current Qi4D drivers well into next year rather than being fitted into a new model this offseason.

A shift in the industry’s release cycle

TaylorMade announced in May that it was moving to a two-year product cycle for its metal woods, starting with the Qi4D driver family that was released in January. The move made TaylorMade the fourth of the six largest equipment manufacturers in golf to adopt a two-year cadence for drivers, joining Ping, Srixon and Titleist. Callaway and Cobra have not yet indicated any plans to move off their traditional yearly release schedules.

For McIlroy, the change offers a level of stability he has publicly welcomed. “I think being able to use the same driver for say like an 18-month period I think just gives guys a little bit more of a level of comfort,” McIlroy said Tuesday at the Tour Championship.

A driver that’s already working

McIlroy’s endorsement of the extended cycle comes at a moment when his driver performance is peaking. He switched into the Qi4D during its first week of availability in November and has ranked among the top drivers on the PGA Tour this season, sitting second in the tour’s Strokes Gained: Off the Tee statistic. He is averaging a career-high 330 yards off the tee, with driving accuracy more than three percentage points higher than it was in 2024.

That performance stands in contrast to McIlroy’s history with new equipment. Just a season ago, he continued playing a TaylorMade Qi10 model from 2024 rather than switching to 2025’s Qi35 release. Fellow TaylorMade staffer Scottie Scheffler followed a similar pattern, sticking with his Qi10 until switching to the Qi4D during his win at the FedEx St. Jude Championship two weeks ago.

Why comfort matters more than incremental gains

McIlroy explained that professional golfers are never required to switch drivers, but typically do so when a new model offers a performance edge worth the adjustment. That calculation, he said, involves more than just measurable gains — it also comes down to feel, something that can vary even between two drivers built to identical specifications.

“You think about you really like a driver you’re playing, and then something else is put in your hand say in October, November time, so nine or 10 months after you get your driver — all the manufacturers do a great job of fitting you into what is the best product for you, but they’re all slightly different,” McIlroy said. He noted that even supposedly identical club heads, referred to informally within the sport as “snowflakes,” can feel different to him despite sharing the same loft and weighting. “Thankfully I found a really good one that I like at the minute,” he added, acknowledging he wasn’t certain whether the inconsistency he sometimes feels between identical drivers is physical or psychological.

A practical problem, too

Beyond personal preference, McIlroy pointed to a more practical issue that has affected both him and Scheffler in the past: driver heads wearing out or falling out of USGA conformance over time. Both players had their Qi10 drivers fail conformance testing at last year’s PGA Championship, forcing them to rely on backup clubs during the tournament.

“The heads go. I’ve obviously fallen foul of that at the PGA last year, Scottie as well,” McIlroy said. “You really can only play a driver for a year to a year and a half before you’ve got to switch it out anyway.”

That timeline lines up almost precisely with TaylorMade’s new two-year release window, meaning McIlroy will likely begin the fitting process for his next driver right around the time his current gamer starts showing signs of wear, rather than being pushed into a new model on an artificial yearly schedule.

A broader industry trend

TaylorMade’s decision reflects a wider shift underway across major golf equipment manufacturers, as companies weigh the marketing benefits of annual product launches against player preferences for stability and the diminishing returns of incremental year-over-year improvements. With four of the sport’s six largest manufacturers now on extended product cycles, TaylorMade’s staff, including two of the sport’s most prominent players in McIlroy and Scheffler, will not face pressure to switch equipment heading into the 2027 season, since the company does not plan to release a new driver that year.

What it means for McIlroy going forward

With no new TaylorMade driver expected in 2027, McIlroy and Scheffler head into the offseason with one less variable to manage as they prepare for the year ahead. For a player who has openly discussed his complicated relationship with switching equipment in recent seasons — even while ranking near the top of the tour’s driving statistics — the extended product cycle offers a rare alignment between manufacturer strategy and player comfort.

For now, McIlroy appears content to keep using the club that has helped fuel one of his stronger driving seasons in years, without the looming pressure of a fitting appointment just months away. As he put it, the extra time with a trusted driver simply gives players “a little bit more of a level of comfort” — a small but meaningful edge as he competes at East Lake Golf Club this week in the Tour Championship, the PGA Tour’s season-ending event.