Rory McIlroy’s hopes of a second main victory of the 12 months suffered a major setback after a nightmare end to his opening spherical on the US Open.
McIlroy has struggled for consistency and motivation since finishing the profession Grand Slam in April, coming into the third males’s main of the 12 months with a tied-Forty seventh end on the PGA Championship and a missed minimize on the RBC Canadian Open.
The Masters champion briefly shared the lead after two birdies in his first three holes at Oakmont Nation Membership on Thursday morning, the place he reached the flip in 33, solely to drop six photographs in an eight-hole stretch leaving him signing for a four-over 74 and eight strokes behind clubhouse chief JJ Spaun.
McIlroy adopted a bogey on the par-four first with three extra in a four-hole stretch from the fourth, with a double-bogey on the par-three eighth.
The Northern Irishman elected towards chatting with the media post-round, with McIlroy – who has completed no worse than ninth in his previous six US Open appearances – needing enchancment on Friday to have an opportunity of creating it by means of to the weekend.
McIlroy carded two birdies, 4 bogeys and a double bogey in his opening spherical
He was not the one participant to battle within the morning wave, the place simply 5 gamers completed underneath par, with defending champion Bryson DeChambeau carding a three-over 73 and Shane Lowry – enjoying alongside McIlroy – stumbling to a nine-over 79.
A story of two nines for McIlroy
McIlroy – starting on the again 9 alongside Ryder Cup team-mates Shane Lowry and Justin Rose – did not capitalise on a 10-foot birdie alternative on his opening gap however made amends by draining a 25-footer on the par-four subsequent.
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Rory McIlroy made a superb birdie on the eleventh gap at Oakmont Nation Membership, one among solely two registered all through his spherical
A 392-yard drive – his longest of the season – helped McIlroy to a two-putt birdie on the par-five subsequent, briefly shifting him right into a share of the lead, with spectacular par saves on the fifteenth and seventeenth serving to the world No 2 attain the flip bogey-free in 33.
McIlroy’s struggles started with a three-putt bogey on the par-four first, he then holed from 30 toes to restrict the injury to a bogey on the par-five fourth after taking three photographs to gauge out of thick tough.
Rory McIlroy is already a three-time winner this season, having gained the AT&T Pebble Seaside Professional-Am, The Gamers and The Masters
He fell additional behind when he did not rise up and down from the greenside bunker on the par-three sixth, lacking from six toes, with McIlroy then three-putting on the par-four subsequent to card a fourth bogey in seven holes.
McIlroy left his ball within the tough on his strategy to a double-bogey on the lengthy par-three eighth, dropping him to 4 over, together with his gradual begin the primary time since 2018 that he has carded an over-par opening spherical on the US Open.
Solely three of the final 26 US Open champions haven’t been inside 4 of the lead after the opening spherical of a US Open, though McIlroy – eight again – got here from seven behind after 18 holes to win his elusive fifth main title at The Masters earlier this 12 months.
What went improper for DeChambeau and McIlroy?
Sky Sports activities’ Paul McGinley, reflecting on disappointing begins for DeChambeau and McIlroy:
“I really thought Bryson [DeChambeau] performed fairly effectively. He simply putted actually poorly for him, in any other case he’d have been hovering round even par.
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Highlights from Bryson DeChambeau’s opening spherical on the US Open, the place the defending champion opened with a three-over 73
“You’re not going to discount him [on three over]. I think he will find his putting over the next three days. He has hit more fairways than he did at the PGA Championship and at The Masters, which is a big improvement.
“We noticed an enormous enchancment in his iron play, too, so he appears to be like to be on it if he can get his placing going. I would not be too involved about him however for Rory, he had a very poor again 9.
Rory McIlroy suffered an costly end to his opening spherical on the US Open
“McIlroy didn’t play that badly but his iron play let him down – he was in the bottom 10 per cent for iron play in the opening morning and you’ve got to be good around here with your irons.
“Though the targets are massive in measurement, in actuality they’re small as a result of they’re on little pimples. When you miss it within the improper spot, you are going to pay the worth and McIlroy did that a number of occasions.”
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