Rory McIlroy shot 81 during rough US Open practice round
Rory McIlroy tees off on the tenth hole during a practice round for the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club.
Oakmont Country Club wasn't kind to Rory McIlroy during a recent practice round.
The reigning Masters champion said Tuesday that he shot an 81 over 18 holes at the Pennsylvania course on June 2 ahead of the U.S. Open, which starts on Thursday.
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'Last Monday felt impossible,' McIlroy said during a press conference Tuesday. 'I birdied the last two holes for 81. It felt pretty good. It didn't feel like I played that bad.'
McIlroy added that he expects the conditions he'll face this weekend will be a bit less challenging than what he took on earlier this month.
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland speaks to the media during a practice round prior to the 125th U.S. OPEN at Oakmont Country Club on June 10, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. Getty Images
'This morning it was a little softer,' he said. 'The pins aren't going to be on 3 or 4 percent slopes all the time. 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.'
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McIlroy hasn't played like his usual self in recent weeks, finishing T-47 at the PGA Championship and missing the cut at the RBC Canadian Open last week.
McIlroy's mini-slump comes after his driver was deemed non-conforming before the PGA Championship.
He told reporters Tuesday that he hopes those troubles are behind him heading into the year's third major tournament.
Rory McIlroy tees off on the tenth hole during a practice round for the U.S. Open golf tournament at Oakmont Country Club. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
'Every driver sort of has its own character and you're trying to manage the misses,' McIlroy said. 'I feel like, as the last few weeks go, I think I learnt a lot on Thursday and Friday last week and did a good bit of practice at home and feel like I'm in a better place with everything going into this week.'
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After completing the career Grand Slam, McIlroy admitted that it's been tough to stay motivated on the golf course.
'I worked incredibly hard on my game from October last year all the way up until April this year (and) it was nice to sort of see the fruits of my labor come to fruition and have everything happen,'' McIlroy said Tuesday. 'But at the same time, you have to enjoy that. You have to enjoy what you've just accomplished. I certainly feel like I'm still doing that and I will continue to do that.
'At some point, you have to realize that there's a little bit more golf left to play this season — here, Portrush [the British Open], Ryder Cup — so those are obviously the three big things that I'm sort of looking at for the rest of the year.'
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