Rory McIlroy counting down hours to end Oakmont grueller
Rory McIlroy admits he would have been happy to miss the cut after suffering more Oakmont punishment at the US Open.
The Northern Irishman scrambled two birdies in the final four holes during Friday's second round to book his weekend stay but revealed he would have not have minded going home.
That feeling was even more prevalent after another bruising round on 'moving day', where the only direction he was heading was down.
Trouble was never far away as he made six bogeys in a round of 74 and when his par-putt kissed the lips of the hole from three and a half feet and went out on the 14th, he was seen quietly mouthing an expletive, presumably telling the Oakmont course exactly where to go.
He sits near the foot of the leaderboard at 10-over-par and is counting down the hours until he can go home.
Asked what his expectations were for Sunday's final round, he said: "Hopefully a round in under four and a half hours and get out of here.
"I actually feel like I've played OK this week."
"It's funny, it's much easier being on the cut line when you don't really care if you're here for the weekend or not.
"I was sort of thinking, 'Do I really want two more days here or not'? So it makes it easier to play better when you're in that mindset.
"I actually feel like I've played OK this week. It's a golf course where the tiniest mistakes get penalised a lot and that's sort of how it's felt this week.
"The name of the game this week is staying patient and try to do a good job of it out there, but it's one of those golf courses that you can lose patience on pretty quickly."
McIlroy spoke having skipped media duties after the last six rounds of major tournaments, putting it down to frustration at the reporting of his driver failing a 'non-conforming' test during the PGA Championship last month.
With media duties voluntary and not a requirement he insists he has earned the right to choose when he speaks.
"It's more a frustration with you guys," he said. "I've been totally available for the last few years.
"(The driver) thing was a part of it. But at Augusta I skipped you guys on Thursday, so it's not out of the ordinary. I've done it before; I'm just doing it a little more often.
"I feel like I've earned the right to do whatever I want to do.
"I'm not daring them (the PGA Tour) to do anything. I hope they don't change it because it's a nice luxury to have.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Irish Examiner
6 hours ago
- Irish Examiner
Burns holds narrow US Open lead as Hatton and Scott surge into contention
Tyrrell Hatton joked that the brutal Oakmont course at the US Open has brought everyone down to his level of mental fragility after bursting into contention going into the final round. Hatton is known for his tendency to explode, often breaking clubs and getting angry on the course. The punishing conditions of the famous course in Pennsylvania have tested the patience of all 156 players with Rory McIlroy, Jon Rahm and Shane Lowry among those who have lost their temper. Hatton certainly found no need to lose his composure during a third-round 68, which propelled him up the leaderboard and in with a shot of winning a first major on Sunday night. He fired five birdies and sits five shots behind overnight leader Sam Burns who, at four-under-par, holds a one-shot lead over JJ Spaun and Adam Scott. The 33-year-old Hatton said: "I have a 'head off' wherever I play so everyone comes to the US Open and seems to have a 'head off' and I guess it brings them to my level for a week. "I am not going to change, but hopefully I can play like I did today again tomorrow. That will certainly help me keep as calm as possible. "I am five behind, a lot can happen out there. I would certainly be very happy with another 68. "We will see how it plays out. I'll try my best. To finish two under, I'm very happy." Scotland's Robert MacIntyre is a further two shots back at three-over-par and still has "100 per cent" belief he can win on Sunday. MacIntyre described his opening round level-par 70 as one of the best of his life, but he bettered it just 48 hours later to card a 69. Asked if he can win, he replied: "One hundred per cent. I wouldn't be here if I didn't believe that, it's a simple answer, yes. "I'm just delighted to be in it, going into tomorrow if I can shoot the number I know I can shoot, then why can't it be me? "Tomorrow I have got to go out there, give it my best, don't try and focus too much on trying to win, just go out there, hit the shots, then come 15, 16, see where are sitting and decide whether to roll the dice or not." American Ryder Cup player Burns has his first major in his sights after a one-under-par 69. He exchanged the lead with his playing partner Spaun throughout a tense 18 holes, but took an outright lead when Spaun bogeyed the 18th after a wayward tee shot. Adam Scott rolled back the years in his pursuit of a first major in 12 years, firing a three-under-par 67 to be tied for second with Spaun. Viktor Hovland is the only other man in the red at one under. It is as you were for world number one Scottie Scheffler, who carded an even-par 70 to remain at four-over-par. Scheffler maintained he was still in contention after Friday's second round, but failed to make any ground on the leaders, his three birdies cancelled out by three bogeys. But he is still not giving up hope, saying: "It's going to be really tough for me to catch them, but I think right now I'm seven shots back, which around this place, I mean, anything can happen. "Do I feel like I'm out of the tournament? No. Do I wish I played a little bit better today? Yeah, of course. "But it's just one of those deals where I put myself in this position. It's not the position I want to be in, but I've done a good job of hanging in there and staying in the tournament." PA
RTÉ News
7 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Scott and Hovland loom as stars fail to fire at Oakmont
Adam Scott put himself in prime position to collect his second major championship title with a back-nine charge for the ages in the third round of the US Open at Oakmont Country Club on Saturday. The Australian went into the day on even-par overall, three behind overnight leader Sam Burns who sat on three-under-par entering the day's play. But, having played his first dozen holes in level par, 2013 Masters champion, Scott, played the last six in three-under-par to get himself slap, bang in the middle of the action with a cracking round of 67. His playing partner, Viktor Hovland, could scarecely have got his day off to a worst start with dropped shots on the first and third. But the Norwegian rallied to eventually get it to one-under-par overall and leave himself in great order to challenge for a first major title after signing for a 70. Whatever you do, however, don't dismiss Saturday's final group of Sam Burns and JJ Spaun. They enjoyed a tit-for-tat battle all afternoon and remain two of the men to catch heading into Sunday's final round. Spaun got it around in 69 with Burns matching him with a 69 of his own to hold a one-shot lead from his playing partner and Scott on four-under-par.. It has been another major tournament to forget for Rory McIlroy who seems to be searching for meaning since conquering his Everest at Augusta in April. In short, the Holywood man can't wait to see the back of Oakmont Country Club. Asked, after his third-round 74, what his expectations were for Sunday's final round, he said: "Hopefully a round in under four and a half hours and get out of here."
The 42
8 hours ago
- The 42
Burns tees off with US Open lead as McIlroy finds more misery
SAM BURNS, chasing his first major title, teed off with a one-stroke lead in Saturday's third round of the US Open, while second-ranked Rory McIlroy found more misery at rain-soaked Oakmont. Burns, a 28-year-old American whose most recent win came at the 2023 WGC Match Play, was on three-under par 137 for 36 holes, a stroke ahead of last-pair US playing partner J.J. Spaun. Norway's Viktor Hovland was two back and the only other player under par as the leaders began their trek over the iconic and intimidating layout in quest of a $4.3 million top prize. An inch of rain drenched Oakmont overnight with more on Saturday, leaving the course receptive for 67 players making the cut on seven-over 147. Big names still struggled while others made charges. McIlroy made bogeys on three of his last five holes to fire a four-over par 74 and stand on 10-over, 13 strokes adrift. 'I was hoping to play better, but I didn't,' McIlroy said, calling his tournament 'pretty average' so far. Advertisement 'The name of the game this week is staying patient, and try to do a good job of it out there,' McIlroy said. 'But it's one of those golf courses that you can lose patience on pretty quickly.' Rory McIlroy just have an emotive press conference explaining why he has been skipping media; 'It's more a frustration with you guys.' This is worth a watch. — Flushing It (@flushingitgolf) June 14, 2025 McIlroy, who completed a career Grand Slam by winning the Masters for his fifth major title, missed a seven-foot putt to bogey the third hole and took a penalty drop, leading to a bogey at nine. He dropped his approach inside four feet to set up a birdie at the 10th but found a greenside bunker at 11 and made bogey then lipped out from inside four feet to bogey 14 and missed the green at the par-three 16th on the way to bogey. McIlroy found a greenside bunker off the 17th tee but blasted out inches from the hole and tapped in for birdie, only to find the right rough off the 18th tee on the way to bogey. Asked what he looked for on Sunday, McIlroy said, 'Hopefully a round in under four and a half hours and get out of here.' - Scheffler struggling - Third-ranked American Xander Schauffele, the reigning British Open champion, fired a 71 to stand on seven-over 217. Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, seeking back-to-back major titles after taking last month's PGA Championship, had two birdies and three bogeys in his first eight holes to fall to five-over. Scheffler opened with a three-putt bogey, dropped in a 13-foot birdie putt on the right side of the hole at two, curved in a 19-foot birdie putt at the par-three sixth, but made a three-putt bogey at the par-three eighth and a bogey at nine after a penalty drop. Two-time major winner Jon Rahm of Spain sank a birdie putt from just inside 14 feet at the second, made bogey at three after finding a fairway bunker, then sank a 23-foot birdie putt at the par-three eighth to stand on three-over. There were bright spots, Scotland's Robert MacIntyre among them. The reigning Scottish Open champion birdied the second on a 12-foot putt and the sixth from 19 feet to stand two-over after 13 holes. Third-generation American golf pro Sam Stevens, whose grandfather made 30 PGA Tour starts in the 1960s, was on one-over after he sank a 20-foot birdie putt at the third hole and holed out from just inside 16 feet at the par-five fourth. Mexico's Carlos Ortiz was also on one-over after birdies at the fourth and sixth from just inside eight and six feet respectively. Denmark's Rasmus Neergaard-Petersen reeled off four consecutive birdies to stand one-over after seven holes. – © AFP 2025 You can view the full leaderboard here
