Rory McIlroy ends his US Open on a high note with a 67. The next major is in his home country
OAKMONT, Pa. — Rory McIlroy could leave Oakmont feeling like he accomplished something, even if it took the full four days for him to produce a truly impressive round.
McIlroy shot a 3-under 67 on Sunday, finishing the U.S. Open at 7 over and giving himself a performance he can build off as he works toward the year's final major — next month's British Open at Royal Portrush in his home country of Northern Ireland.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
27 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Robert MacIntyre not giving up major dream after falling just short at US Open
Robert MacIntyre will not give up on his dream of becoming a major champion after falling just short at the US Open. MacIntyre had hopes of becoming the first Scot to win a major since Paul Lawrie in 1999 when he was the clubhouse leader on the final day at a rain-soaked Oakmont. Advertisement He produced an excellent two-under-par 68 to sit at one over and looked set for a possible play-off with JJ Spaun, who had two holes to play. But the American saved his best for last, first driving the green for birdie at the 17th before draining a monster 65-foot putt on the 18th to win by two shots. MacIntyre, still sodden from torrential rain that caused a 96-minute delay, was watching open-mouthed in the scorer's office and could do nothing but applaud his opponent and mouth 'wow'. The 28-year-old's career trajectory is on the rise, moving up to 12th in the rankings, and he looks set to be part of Europe's Ryder Cup team again later this year. Advertisement The Scot wrote on Instagram on Monday: 'Competing in the deep end of major championships is what I've dreamed of and yesterday was the first real taste of it. We'll be back for more.' He added after Sunday's round: 'I've got a chance to win a major championship. It's what I've dreamed of as a kid, sitting back home watching all the majors. 'It was a day that I said to myself, 'Why not? Why can't it be me today?' when I was going round, and I just trusted myself. 'Almost got there, but not quite. I always thought I could really challenge, even going into today, but obviously the start wasn't a help.' Advertisement His dreams looked to be in tatters when he was two over after three holes but an eagle at the par-five fourth kick-started his round. And he was pleased with the way he fought back into contention. 'I am absolutely delighted with the way I played. I got off to a rough start, I didn't get off to the start I wanted to, but I have been working so hard on staying patient and got my reward,' he added. 'I was watching the leaderboard all day and I saw I wasn't really going away. It was just about digging in and digging in.'
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
'Unreal' feeling for friends and family of NI's world champs
Northern Ireland won their first World Cup of Darts with victory over Wales [Getty Images] Family and friends of Northern Ireland's newest world champions have said the sensation of watching them triumph felt "unreal". Daryl Gurney and Josh Rock clinched glory for NI in the World Cup of Darts on Sunday night. Advertisement The team lifted the trophy for the first time with victory over Wales in a final-leg decider. Gurney and Rock picked up a team first prize of £80,000 after beating two-time champions Gerwyn Price and Jonny Clayton 10-9 in Frankfurt. They were playing together for the first time but Darryl's dad Tommy Gurney said "they just clicked and pulled off something unreal." 'I am just as proud as anyone can be' Tommy said he was "one very proud father". "I can't actually put it into words, I am just as proud as anyone can be," he told BBC News NI. "Some of the family was over there with him for the final and let me just say there were just so many tears. Advertisement "I phoned him after his first game, and I told him he's trying too hard and I said; 'Just let them go', play your game, and after that he was throwing better then." Tommy bought Daryl, who grew up in Londonderry, a set of darts as a 12-year-old and after he "messed about" for a while he took the game up seriously at 14. "He just kept getting better and we knew there was something special there - I think he did a 10-darter when he was 15," Tommy said. Tommy Gurney described the victory as "unreal" [BBC] Tommy said representing Northern Ireland was special to Daryl. "He said it himself, this one is even better than any of the individuals he won," he said. Advertisement "He's won the World Grand Prix and the Players Championship, but I think this means a bit more than any of the individuals." Brian Doran is friends with Josh Rock and plays darts with him [Brian Doran] Brian Doran, who is friends with Rock and has played alongside him, said it was brilliant to see his friend win the World Cup. "I've been watching it the whole weekend and basically watch all of Josh's matches, he's unreal," Mr Doran said. "He's just been getting better and better and better in every tournament. "It just took this one major, wait to you see what he wins now." When watching his friend from Broughshane in County Antrim compete on Sunday, Mr Doran said he "goosepimples, sweating, hoping he did it. Advertisement "Because it is Northern Ireland, we are basically an underdog at times, and they actually put our name on a trophy to say we are World Cup champions. "Being friends with Josh, it's unreal. I say my friend's a World Cup champion." Julie-Ann Coll grew up on the same street as Daryl [BBC] 'Screaming at the TV' Julie-Ann Coll told BBC News NI the whole of Tullyally in Derry was incredibly proud of "hometown hero" Gurney. Ms Coll grew up on the same street as the star and is best friends with his sister. "I wouldn't have missed that final for the world. I was actually a bit sick in bed, unfortunately, but I had to watch them," she said. Advertisement "It was very tense. I always say to Stacey, Daryl doesn't like to do things the easy way. "Many times, I was crying, shaking, and screaming at the TV. "The family and just everyone here is so very proud of everything he has done. "It shows all the young people here, if you put your mind to something, practice a lot, you can achieve anything. "A World Cup coming back home, it's just unreal."
Washington Post
an hour ago
- Washington Post
US Open champion JJ Spaun turned a free fall into a title at rain-soaked Oakmont
OAKMONT, Pa. — Nobody backs their way into a U.S. Open title. J.J. Spaun wasn't about to be the first to say he did. On a day built for umbrellas, ponchos and industrial-sized squeegees, Spaun reversed his own free fall, took advantage of several others' and hit two shots that turned him into a major champion while finally, mercifully, creating a moment to remember at the rain-soaked brute called Oakmont. 'I just tried to dig deep,' said the 34-year-old Californian who can now call himself a major champion. 'I've been doing it my whole life.' The shots that will go down in history are the drive he hit on the reachable par-4 17th and the 65-foot putt he sank with the sun going down and the rain falling on 18. The first set up a birdie that put him in the lead by himself for good. The second was for emphasis — he needed only a two-putt, after all — that ensured this U.S. Open would finish with one — and only one — player under par. The 65 footer, the longest of any putt made all tournament, closed out a back nine 32 and left Spaun at 1-under 279 for the tournament. His 72 was the highest closing-round score for a U.S. Open winner in 15 years. But that wasn't Sunday's takeaway. Rather, it was the 401.5 feet worth of putts the champion made over four days. And the fact that Spaun joined none other than Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and Jon Rahm as the fifth U.S. Open winner to finish birdie-birdie. 'I just felt like you keep putting yourself in these positions, like eventually you're going to tick one off,' said Spaun, whose loss in a playoff to Rory McIlroy three months ago at The Players Championship was his third top-three finish of 2025. But at the U.S. Open? In that kind of weather? None of it seemed possible when the rain started coming down during the tail end of a front-nine 40 that took Spaun from one shot back at the start of the day to four behind and fading fast. A 1-hour, 37-minute rain delay ensued. It was a break that changed everything. 'They were just like, 'Dude, just chill,'' Spaun said of the pep talk he got from his coaches. They suggested that, if earlier in the week, he'd been told he could be four shots back with nine holes to play, he would have jumped at the chance. 'They just said: 'Just let it come to you, be calm. Stop trying so hard,'' Spaun said. Staying calm resulted in making a downhill 40 footer on the par-5 12th for birdie, then a 22-foot birdie on 14 to take the lead by himself for the first time, at even par. Everywhere else, there were meltdowns in the rain. Third-round leader Sam Burns thinned a shot out of a divot and over the 11th green en route to the first of two back-nine double bogeys. He shot 40 on the back and finished tied for seventh. Adam Scott, the only major champion in the top 10 after Saturday's play, shot 41 in the rain on the back nine and dropped to 12th . 'I didn't adapt to those conditions well enough,' Scott said. Tyrrell Hatton, who shot 72, briefly threatened and was part of a brief five-way deadlock for the lead before making bogey on the last two holes to finish tied for fourth. Robert MacIntyre turned out to be Spaun's most persistent challenger. The left-hander from Scotland faded his drive just short of the green on the way to birdie on 17 to get to 1 over and set the target for Spaun, who was playing three groups behind. MacIntyre was waiting in the locker room when Spaun hit his approach on 18 to 65 feet. Everyone knew it was no sure two-putt. Hardly anyone expected Spaun to get down in one. 'To watch him hole the putt on 12 down the hill there was unreal,' said Viktor Hovland, who played in the twosome with Spaun. 'And then he makes another one on 14 that was straight down the hill. And then the one on 18, it's just absolutely filthy there.' When they close the book on Spaun's victory at this rainy U.S. Open, maybe the most telling story will be about the way his Father's Day began. As much as the front-nine 40, it had to do with the 3 a.m. trip to the drug store for his daughter Violet, who Spaun said was 'vomiting all over.' 'It was kind of a rough start to the morning,' he said. 'I'm not blaming that on my start, but it kind of fit the mold of what was going on, the chaos .' Then, through all the rain, and through all those bad lies and bad breaks, Spaun brought some order to it all with a drive and a putt that landed him the silver trophy and gold medal that go to U.S. Open winners. 'We all sacrifice so much to be here, and to see it come to fruition, that's why we do it,' said Spaun's coach, Adam Schriber. 'It's for these moments.' ___ AP golf:
