Rory McIlroy insists patience will be key to master Oakmont
McIlroy is looking to shake off a hangover from his US Masters triumph in April, where he completed his 11-year quest for a career grand slam of winning all four majors.
That will not be easy at the unforgiving Oakmont Country Club in Pittsburgh, characterised by notoriously thick rough, especially as the 36-year-old is battling driver issues.
He missed the cut when the US Open was last played here in 2016, but has been putting in the work ahead of Thursday's first round.
He played at the course on a scouting mission last Monday, but probably wishes he had not bothered, as he shot an 81, while he has also been watching videos of Dustin Johnson's win here nine years ago.
'I'm glad we have spotters up there because I played last Monday just in Druck's (member Stanley Druckenmiller) outing, and you hit a ball off the fairway and you were looking for a good couple of minutes just to find it,' he said.
'It's very penal if you miss. Sometimes it's penal if you don't miss. But the person with the most patience and the best attitude this week is the one that's going to win.
'There's definitely been a little bit of rain since I played. Last Monday felt impossible. I birdied the last two holes for 81. It felt pretty good. It didn't feel like I played that bad.
'It's much more benign right now than it was that Monday. They had the pins in dicey locations, and greens were running fast. It was nearly impossible.
'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.'
The club's own website labels it 'The Ultimate Examination of Championship Golf', but it is fair to say other descriptions of Oakmont have not been so flattering.
Bryson DeChambeau, who pipped McIlroy to the title last year, called it the 'toughest golf course in the world right now'.
'You have to hit the fairways, you have to hit greens, and you have to two-putt, worst-case scenario,' he said.
'When you've got those putts inside 10 feet, you've got to make them. It's a great test of golf.
Oakmont's greens like you've never seen them before 🚁
Comment your favorite to get a closer look. pic.twitter.com/fdCghScGXs
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 10, 2025
'I think everyone knows it's the toughest golf course in the world right now.'
World number three Xander Schauffele thinks fans will get pleasure from seeing the top stars suffer.
'I don't think people turn the TV on to watch some of the guys just hit like a 200-yard shot on the green, you know what I mean?' Schauffele said.
'I think they turn on the US Open to see a guy shooting eight over and suffer. That's part of the enjoyment of playing in the US Open for viewers.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Guardian
27 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Deja vu for Rory McIlroy after tough first round at the US Open
The Masters champion, trying to shake off the hangover of his Augusta National win in April, came to the Pittsburgh course last week on a scouting mission and carded an 81. While he fared slightly better in Thursday's first round, his four-over-par 74 dealt a blow to his hopes of winning the third major of the year. McIlroy felt the full force of the unforgiving Oakmont, which has widely been described as the hardest golf course in the game, and his round disintegrated after the turn. But in the end, Rory does his best salvage job with a bogey putt from 30+ feet. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025 Starting on the back nine, it seemed to be going all too well for the Northern Irishman as he made the turn at two under after birdies at the 11th and 12th. But it quickly unravelled as he played holes one to nine in 41 shots, which included four bogeys and a double bogey. His playing partners Justin Rose and Shane Lowry did not fare any better as Rose went round in a seven-over 77, with the Irishman a further two shots back, and both facing the prospect of missing the cut. McIlroy's struggles make JJ Spaun's record-equalling round of 66 even more impressive. There was nothing spawny about his excellent card, where he was able to tame Oakmont with accuracy off the tee and fairways. Watch and learn! 👇👇👇 Every televised shot from J.J. Spaun's bogey-free 66, just the 8th flawless round in U.S. Open history at Oakmont. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025 His four birdies in a blemish-free round, which is the joint-lowest first-round score in the US Open on this course, made him the early leader. This was the 34-year-old American's first outing at Oakmont, which left him feeling nervous. 'All you've been hearing is how hard this place is, and it's hard to not hear the noise and see what's on social media,' he said. 'You're just kind of only hearing about how hard this course is. 'I was actually pretty nervous. But I actually tried to harness that, the nerves, the anxiety, because it kind of heightens my focus, makes me swing better, I guess. 'I just tried to kind of take what the course gave me. I hit a lot of good shots and tried to capitalise on any birdie opportunities, which aren't very many out here. J.J. Spaun… still bogey-free! Impressive par save from our leader on a big bender from 16 feet. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025 'But I scrambled really well, too, which is a huge component to playing well at a US Open, let alone shoot a bogey-free round. 'I'm just overly pleased with how I started the tournament.' McIlroy was not alone in struggling as defending champion Bryson DeChambeau was three over while world number three Xander Schauffele was two over. Unfortunately for amateur Matt Vogt, who is a dentist by trade, it was like pulling teeth. The 34-year-old, who made it through qualification, used to caddie at Oakmont but that did not help much as he carded a 12-over-par 82 and will be back in the dental practice next week.
South Wales Guardian
27 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Robert MacIntyre hails opening 70 at US Open as ‘one of my top-10 rounds'
While star names Rory McIlroy, Bryson DeChambeau and Justin Rose all floundered on the notoriously difficult Oakmont course in Pittsburgh, MacIntyre's 70 has him in a strong position after Thursday's opening round. The 28-year-old believes that replicating that scoring over the next three days will see him walking away as champion on Sunday night. Welcome to the red zone! Bob MacIntyre 🏴 gets to under par for the first time today. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025 'I'm delighted with that,' he said. 'That was superb. That's up there. 'I mean, it's in the top 10 of rounds that I've played. It's just so hard. Honestly, it's just every shot is like you're on a knife edge. 'But overall, honestly, I don't know if it's good or bad to have a level-par, but that's almost as good as I've got. 'I know that it will get tougher, but a level-par round today, if you shoot four level-par rounds, you're walking away with a medal and a trophy. I'm sure I'll take that.' MacIntyre could have been in an even better position had he not bogeyed the 18th, but his consistency from the tee underpinned his excellent start. 'I played absolutely beautifully, to be honest, off the tee, because that's where the real punishment is and that's as good as I can drive the golf ball,' he said. 'I wasn't really hitting long drives. I wasn't trying to hit long drives. 'I was just trying to stay in the short stuff and manufacturing shots, whether it was 3-wood, whether it was driver, just try to hit the shape that I needed to find the fairway. 'I've never played a golf course as hard.'
Powys County Times
28 minutes ago
- Powys County Times
Deja vu for Rory McIlroy after tough first round at the US Open
Rory McIlroy had a horrible feeling of deja vu after his US Open hopes were dented on the opening day at Oakmont. The Masters champion, trying to shake off the hangover of his Augusta National win in April, came to the Pittsburgh course last week on a scouting mission and carded an 81. While he fared slightly better in Thursday's first round, his four-over-par 74 dealt a blow to his hopes of winning the third major of the year. McIlroy felt the full force of the unforgiving Oakmont, which has widely been described as the hardest golf course in the game, and his round disintegrated after the turn. But in the end, Rory does his best salvage job with a bogey putt from 30+ feet. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025 Starting on the back nine, it seemed to be going all too well for the Northern Irishman as he made the turn at two under after birdies at the 11th and 12th. But it quickly unravelled as he played holes one to nine in 41 shots, which included four bogeys and a double bogey. His playing partners Justin Rose and Shane Lowry did not fare any better as Rose went round in a seven-over 77, with the Irishman a further two shots back, and both facing the prospect of missing the cut. McIlroy's struggles make JJ Spaun's record-equalling round of 66 even more impressive. There was nothing spawny about his excellent card, where he was able to tame Oakmont with accuracy off the tee and fairways. Watch and learn! 👇👇👇 Every televised shot from J.J. Spaun's bogey-free 66, just the 8th flawless round in U.S. Open history at Oakmont. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025 His four birdies in a blemish-free round, which is the joint-lowest first-round score in the US Open on this course, made him the early leader. This was the 34-year-old American's first outing at Oakmont, which left him feeling nervous. 'All you've been hearing is how hard this place is, and it's hard to not hear the noise and see what's on social media,' he said. 'You're just kind of only hearing about how hard this course is. 'I was actually pretty nervous. But I actually tried to harness that, the nerves, the anxiety, because it kind of heightens my focus, makes me swing better, I guess. 'I just tried to kind of take what the course gave me. I hit a lot of good shots and tried to capitalise on any birdie opportunities, which aren't very many out here. J.J. Spaun… still bogey-free! Impressive par save from our leader on a big bender from 16 feet. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 12, 2025 'But I scrambled really well, too, which is a huge component to playing well at a US Open, let alone shoot a bogey-free round. 'I'm just overly pleased with how I started the tournament.' McIlroy was not alone in struggling as defending champion Bryson DeChambeau was three over while world number three Xander Schauffele was two over. Unfortunately for amateur Matt Vogt, who is a dentist by trade, it was like pulling teeth. The 34-year-old, who made it through qualification, used to caddie at Oakmont but that did not help much as he carded a 12-over-par 82 and will be back in the dental practice next week.
