Rory McIlroy smashes tee marker and throws club in furious US Open meltdown as he issues three-word media snub
McIlroy has made a testing start at Pinehurst and his frustration only grew on day two
Rory McIlroy left his frustrations get the better of him by throwing his golf club and smashing his tee marker following his disappointing start at the US Open.
McIlroy came into this week aiming for a sixth major title and his second US Open, having narrowly missed out to Bryson DeChambeau at Pinehurst No. 2 last year.
However, it's been a far from ideal start for the Northern Irishman, who recorded a four-over-par 74 in the first round.
In need of a strong recovery on the second day, his round began disastrously with two double bogeys in his first three holes.
As the cut line started to drift away, McIlroy finally managed a much-needed birdie at the par-four ninth, undoubtedly hoping for more as he made the turn. A par followed at the 10th, but his temper flared just two holes later.
After a superb tee shot down the middle of the fairway of the 12th, McIlroy aimed to reach the par-five in two, but a wayward second shot sent his ball into the thick rough to the left of the hole. Clearly annoyed, the world No 2 angrily threw his club.
Regaining his composure, he then scored a birdie at the 15th to get within reach of the weekend, but his Friday was far from over.
Standing on the achievable par-four 17th, McIlroy pulled his shot left and vented his frustrations on the tee box, breaking it with his club.
McIlroy scraped through with a par after deftly chipping out of the bunker and sinking two putts, teetering on the edge of the cut line with just one hole remaining.
When the cut loomed around seven-over, a birdie at the 18th ensured McIlroy's place in the weekend action, leaving him six-over for the tournament and tied for 45th with a dozen others going into moving day.
It's been yet another taxing week for McIlroy, who still appears to be riding the wave from his Masters victory. His win at Augusta National entered the annals of golf history, making him one of only six players to claim all four major titles.
Following the end of his second round, at Pinehurst, media outlet GolfDigest reported that the Irishman then snubbed a question about his media availability as he headed to the clubhouse from the scorer's room, telling a USPGA official: "No, I'm good".
It's the sixth round at the major on the spin that McIlroy has declined interview requests, although he did conduct a press conference on Tuesday ahead of the US Open getting underway.
Rich Lerner, host of Golf Channel's Live From with Paul McGinley and Brandel Chamblee, could see the frustrations get the better of McIlroy as top stars struggled as he said: 'We've had guys who have been p***d off, Rory banging his club.' Chamblee added: "It's been bizarre. I think the guys are just resigned to the fact it's been difficult.'
McGinley says cites incoming rain at Oakmont and potential mudballs which caused unrest at the PGA Championship as another reason why the players are going to hot under the collar and continued: 'Another source of frustration. Another reason for the term war of attrition.'
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Just eight months later, the couple got engaged in Paris and walked down the aisle at Ashford Castle in Ireland in 2017. The pair then welcomed daughter Poppy into the world three years later. Throughout their time together, McIlroy and Erica have kept their relationship to themselves, with the golfer keen to protect his family from the cameras during filming of Netflix's Full Swing documentary series. However, after seven years of marriage, McIlroy filed for divorce from Erica. The reasons for the divorce were not disclosed, but the Northern Irishman submitted documents to a court in Florida. However, a few weeks later, performed a U-turn on their decision to divorce. McIlroy told the outlet: "Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.' And McIlory admitted his lack of motivation is so bad that he would not have worried if he had missed the cut. He said: 'I was thinking, 'Do I really want two more days here?'. 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It was hard to avoid the suspicion that he set out yesterday knowing he was unlikely to make significant inroads on the nine-shot gap that separated him from 36-hole leader Sam Burns — especially on a front nine that has proved a minefield for the world No 2. McIlroy played the opening stretch in NINE OVER PAR over the first two days, while shooting three under on the back nine. The front nine is the tougher half — but not that much harder. Marc Leishman and Corey Conners, in the groups just behind McIlroy, underlined that fact by both playing the first nine holes in three under yesterday, although both found it much tougher after the turn. McIlroy needed a fast start to round three to have any chance of a miracle fightback, but a bogey on the third meant he was quickly heading in the wrong direction. Another shot went at the ninth and even though he finally made his first birdie at the tenth, he gave it straight back by finding a bunker on the 11th. A rueful shrug of the shoulders was the only reaction when he missed a tiddler for par at the 14th. And another shot went with a three-putt on the 16th. The relatively easy 17th, where he demolished the tee marker 24 hours earlier, yielded a second birdie. Almost inevitably, that shot was handed back at the last, dropping the five-time Major winner to ten over. Asked what he was hoping for in his final round, McIlroy added: "Hopefully a round in under four and a half hours and get out of here."
