Rory McIlroy ready for next challenge after ‘climbing Everest' with Masters win
The 36-year-old played his best golf of the week, with the sort of accuracy and guile that he would have longed for on Thursday and Friday, carding a three-under-par 67 to finish on seven over.
The early pairings are showing that there are scoring opportunities out there.
Rory now -3 for the day after this birdie. pic.twitter.com/04UsCELKPb
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 15, 2025
It was not just the bruising difficulty of Oakmont which had him feeling fuzzy-headed this week, though, as McIlroy still suffers the hangover of that momentous win at Augusta in April, where he became just the sixth male player to complete a career grand slam of majors.
He has accepted that he needs time to regain his focus and knows next month's Open on home soil in Northern Ireland is the place to do it.
'Look, I climbed my Everest in April, and I think after you do something like that, you've got to make your way back down, and you've got to look for another mountain to climb,' he said. 'An Open at Portrush is certainly one of those.
'If I can't get motivated to get up for an Open Championship at home, then I don't know what can motivate me.
Six birdies in a final round 67 (-3) for Rory ✍️#USOpen pic.twitter.com/yWnex9DyY0
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 15, 2025
'I just need to get myself in the right frame of mind. I probably haven't been there the last few weeks.'
Next month's final major of the year is just 65 miles from where he grew up playing at Holywood and it will be his first visit to Northern Ireland since winning the green jacket and completing the set.
'I feel like playing an Open at Portrush already (in 2019) and at least remembering what those feelings were like and those feelings that I was probably unprepared for at the time,' he said.
'Obviously it will be my first time sort of in public back home after winning the Masters. It should be a really nice week.
'Hopefully I can celebrate with them on Sunday night with the Claret Jug and the green jacket.
'It will be amazing to go home and play in that atmosphere and see a lot of people that I still haven't seen yet. I'm really looking forward to it.
'It was nice to end this week with a bit of a positive note with the way I played today, and yeah, I'll just be looking forward to and trying to get myself prepared for Portrush.'
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Where was Erica during Rory's US Open meltdown? McIlroy's wife was notably absent during week of tense moments - after their divorce u-turn and a move to the UK
It appeared to be a joyless week of golf for Rory McIlroy at the US Open, with his temper boiling over several times as his worrying run of post-Masters form continued. In one tense moment with the press, the 36-year-old, who had snubbed his recent media duties, indicated his 'frustration with you guys', saying that he feels 'the right to do whatever I want to do' when it comes to interview availability after rounds. Then on Friday, the golfer hurled his club 30 yards following a disappointing play and then, five holes later, smashed up a tee marker in anger. His frustrating performance likely wasn't helped by his wife Erica Stoll's absence. The New York native wasn't publicly seen supporting her Northern Irish husband at Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. The lack of cheering-on from the sideline was in stark contrast to the family's show of support at Rory's triumphant journey at the Masters. Erica and her partner put on a united front with their four-year-old daughter Poppy as the golf star slayed his demons at Augusta National to complete the career Grand Slam after 11 years of trying in April. But during this championship, Erica and her daughter were likely preparing for the family's move from Jupiter, Florida, to their newly built home in Surrey, England, after it was reported that the golfer would officially move to the UK after the US Open. The major change comes after a turbulent year off the course for Rory; in May 2024, the sportsman filed to divorce Erica. A month later, he called off the split, announcing the couple had 'resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning'. Friends reportedly suggested the real reasons driving the reconciliation were Rory's fears over paying out a huge chunk of his £200million fortune to lawyers and his inability to 'be on his own for more than five minutes'. 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Rory's attorney Thomas Sasser filed a Notice of Voluntary Dismissal on his behalf on June 11 in Palm Beach County Courthouse after he and Erica reportedly held secret meetings at their Florida home for a month in a bid to salvage their marriage. The meetings were initially focused on how they would co-parent their daughter Poppy, but the conversations eventually led to them reuniting, according to Irish outlet RSVP Live. Rory addressed the speculation surrounding his relationship status in a statement to The Guardian - two days before the opening round of the US Open. 'There have been rumors about my personal life recently, which is unfortunate. Responding to each rumor is a fool's game,' McIlroy said. 'Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realized that our best future was as a family together. Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.' 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In another tense moment at the US Open, Rory, who has come under fire for avoiding media after six consecutive major championship rounds, ended his silent run on Saturday and said he felt he earned the right to do as he pleases. PGA Tour players are not obliged to speak to the media after their rounds but for someone like world number two Rory, who has been the de facto spokesman of the US-based circuit in recent years, it has come to be expected. Following a four-over 74 that left well out of contention at Oakmont Country Club, Rory spoke to reporters and was asked if his drop in form since winning the Masters was why he decided to avoid the media outside of pre-tournament availabilities. 'No, not really. It's more a frustration with you guys,' McIlroy told reporters before being asked to elaborate. 'I'm just, yeah, I don't know. I have, I've been totally available for the last few years, and I'm not saying - maybe not you guys, but maybe more just the whole thing.' 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an hour ago
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Rory McIlroy ready for next challenge after ‘climbing Everest' with Masters win
Rory McIlroy is ready for a new challenge after 'climbing my Everest' of winning the Masters and has set his sights on next month's Open at Portrush. McIlroy ended a difficult week at the US Open on a high on Sunday, going some way to exorcising the demons of an Oakmont course that had tortured him for the first three days. Advertisement The 36-year-old played his best golf of the week, with the sort of accuracy and guile that he would have longed for on Thursday and Friday, carding a three-under-par 67 to finish on seven over. The early pairings are showing that there are scoring opportunities out there. Rory now -3 for the day after this birdie. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 15, 2025 It was not just the bruising difficulty of Oakmont which had him feeling fuzzy-headed this week, though, as McIlroy still suffers the hangover of that momentous win at Augusta in April, where he became just the sixth male player to complete a career grand slam of majors. He has accepted that he needs time to regain his focus and knows next month's Open on home soil in Northern Ireland is the place to do it. 'Look, I climbed my Everest in April, and I think after you do something like that, you've got to make your way back down, and you've got to look for another mountain to climb,' he said. 'An Open at Portrush is certainly one of those. Advertisement 'If I can't get motivated to get up for an Open Championship at home, then I don't know what can motivate me. Six birdies in a final round 67 (-3) for Rory ✍️ #USOpen — DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 15, 2025 'I just need to get myself in the right frame of mind. I probably haven't been there the last few weeks.' Next month's final major of the year is just 65 miles from where he grew up playing at Holywood and it will be his first visit to Northern Ireland since winning the green jacket and completing the set. 'I feel like playing an Open at Portrush already (in 2019) and at least remembering what those feelings were like and those feelings that I was probably unprepared for at the time,' he said. Advertisement 'Obviously it will be my first time sort of in public back home after winning the Masters. It should be a really nice week. Sport Robert MacIntyre falls short as JJ Spaun clinches... Read More 'Hopefully I can celebrate with them on Sunday night with the Claret Jug and the green jacket. 'It will be amazing to go home and play in that atmosphere and see a lot of people that I still haven't seen yet. I'm really looking forward to it. 'It was nice to end this week with a bit of a positive note with the way I played today, and yeah, I'll just be looking forward to and trying to get myself prepared for Portrush.' Advertisement
