Rory McIlroy eyes better showing in return to Oakmont
OAKMONT, Pa. — Rory McIlroy said Tuesday that he shot 81 with two birdies on the final two holes at Oakmont Country Club during a scouting trip to the course last week.
“They had the pins in dicey locations, and greens were running at 15 1/2. It was nearly impossible,” McIlroy said. “I birdied the last two holes for 81. It felt pretty good. It didn’t feel like I played that bad.”
McIlroy, who missed the cut the last time the U.S. Open was held at Oakmont in 2016, said the conditions of the course this week have so far been more benign than what he previously experienced due to the copious amount of rain the area has received in recent days.
The five-time major winner and defending Masters champion was one of the first off Tuesday morning as he cruised around Oakmont with Shane Lowry before spending ample time on the driving range.
“It was a little softer. The pins aren’t going to be on 3 or 4 percent slopes all the time,” McIlroy said. “If you put it in the fairway, it’s certainly playable. But then you just have to think about leaving your ball below the hole and just trying to make as many pars as you can. You get yourself in the way of a few birdies, that’s a bonus.”
That is the challenge that Oakmont presents to the best players in the world this week. Some pars are going to feel like birdies, while bogey on some of the course’s toughest holes will be welcomed. The course’s large, sloping greens are tough enough, but the challenge begins off the tee where thick, deep rough awaits just off Oakmont’s tight fairways.
While driving is usually McIlroy’s strength – he is second on the PGA Tour in strokes gained off the tee this season – his last few starts have featured uncharacteristic performances in that area. After his driver was deemed nonconforming at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow last month, McIlroy attempted to use a shorter driver and a different head at the RBC Heritage last week. He hit only 42% of the fairways and found only four in the second round, when he posted an 8-over 80.
At courses like TPC Sawgrass and Augusta National where he’s won this year, a missed fairway still allowed McIlroy to tap into his skill and hit recovery shots to fight his way up the leaderboard. But at Oakmont this week, he won’t be able to do that. Every player in the field knows that hitting the fairway is essential to having success on this particular setup.
“If you miss a fairway here, you can’t really do anything with it unless you’re in the middle of a fairway bunker and you can get something over the lip.” McIlroy said.
McIlroy had said he would be testing various driver heads in advance of the U.S. Open and he has landed on using last year’s TaylorMade driver model featuring the same settings as the driver he used to win the Masters. On Tuesday, he said he spent time practicing since missing the cut in Canada and feels a lot more confident in that club this week.
“I feel a little better with the driver over the weekend at home and even today playing a practice round,” said McIlroy. “So hopefully I can hit a few more fairways than I have been hitting and give myself some opportunities.”
Opportunities to score may be scarce this week. In 2016, only four players shot under par. But McIlroy is not the player he was in 2016, especially not in the U.S. Open. After missing three cuts at this event from 2016 to 2018, McIlroy said he made a decision to evolve as a golfer and, as he put it, rebuild his game around the sport’s toughest tests. Since, he’s had six straight top-10 finishes at the U.S. Open including back-to-back second place finishes the last two years.
“I’ve definitely become a much more confident U.S. Open player and I’m way more comfortable on those firm, fast setups like you saw at Pinehurst last year and LACC the year before that,” McIlroy said. “The U.S. Open went from probably my least favorite major to probably my favorite because of what it asks from you. And I love that challenge.”
Source: espn.com