US Open golf: Rory McIlroy makes pre-major driver change and in ‘higher place’ forward of Oakmont

Rory McIlroy has reverted to a well-recognized driver forward of the US Open, as he seems to “forget about” latest disappointments and proceed his spectacular main file.

McIlroy turned simply the sixth participant to finish the profession Grand Slam after his dramatic play-off victory at The Masters in April, though did not contend eventually month’s PGA Championship earlier than lacking the lower eventually week’s RBC Canadian Open.

The world No 2 was pressured right into a last-minute membership swap forward of Quail Hole, following his ‘gamer’ TaylorMade Qi10 driver – that had helped him to main glory at Augusta Nationwide – being thought-about non-conforming after a routine inspection.

McIlroy used a back-up driver in his tied-Forty seventh end and switched to a brand new TaylorMade Qi35 driver forward of the RBC Canadian Open, the place he admitted to “still searching for a missing piece off the tee” after ending in tied-149th – the bottom place in his PGA Tour profession.

The five-time main champion mentioned he could be “testing quite a few drivers over the weekend” and was seen utilizing a Qi10 driver throughout a observe spherical at Oakmont, with McIlroy confirming he would use the acquainted mannequin throughout this week’s main.

“Hitting a lot of drivers, every driver sort of has its own character and you’re trying to manage the misses,” McIlroy mentioned in his pre-tournament press convention. “It is positively a bit little bit of each.

“I feel like, as the last few weeks ago, I think I learnt a lot on Thursday and Friday last week. Did a good bit of practice at home and feel like I’m in a better place with everything going into this week.”

McIlroy revealed he carded an 11-over 81 throughout a observe spherical at a “nearly impossible” Oakmont on June 2, earlier than his missed lower in Canada, regardless of birdieing his final two holes in a efficiency the place he “didn’t feel like he played that bad”.

On what he gained from practising with drivers over the previous week, McIlroy added: “I learned that I wasn’t using the right driver!”

World No 1 Scottie Scheffler’s driver was additionally thought-about non-conforming forward of the PGA Championship, though nonetheless went onto declare a five-shot victory to register a 3rd main title.

“It wasn’t a big deal for Scottie, so it shouldn’t have been a big deal for me,” McIlroy admitted.

McIlroy’s three targets for large end to the season

The 36-year-old beforehand revealed it had been “hard to find the motivation to get back on the horse and go again” since his Grand Slam success, though the disappointing finishes in his final two begins has helped him swap focus heading into the remainder of the 2025 marketing campaign.

“I think it’s trying to have a little bit of amnesia and forget about what happened six weeks ago, then just trying to find the motivation to go back out there and work as hard as I’ve been working,” McIlroy added.

“I worked incredibly hard on my game from October last year all the way up until April this year. It was nice to sort of see the fruits of my labour come to fruition and have everything happen. But at the same time, you have to enjoy what you’ve just accomplished.

“I actually really feel like I am nonetheless doing that and I’ll proceed to try this however, in some unspecified time in the future, you must realise that there is a little bit extra golf left to play this season. There’s right here, Royal Portrush, Ryder Cup…these are clearly the three large issues that I am taking a look at for the remainder of the yr.

“I think weeks like Quail Hollow or even weeks like last week, it makes it easier to reset in some way, to be like, ‘okay, I sort of need to get my stuff together here and get back to the process’.”

McIlroy’s evolution to common US Open contender

McIlroy stormed to an eight-shot victory within the 2011 US Open, his maiden main title, however missed three consecutive cuts from 2016 earlier than ending no worse than ninth in every of his final six appearances.

He completed runner-up to Wyndham Clark in 2023 earlier than agonisingly lacking out to Bryson DeChambeau final June, the place he bogeyed three of his final 4 holes to complete one shot behind, with McIlroy absolutely embracing the powerful circumstances confronted yearly on the US Open.

“I felt like I was better than that reputation [someone who struggles on US Open set-ups], so that’s ego driven in some way,” McIlroy mentioned. “Shinnecock [2018] was a really hard one because I love that golf course, and to perform the way I did there, it really hurt me.

“I believe it was that week the place it clicked. It was like, why am I so snug right here in Hartford [PGA Tour] however final week I had no clue what to do? In order that’s after I made the choice at that again finish of 2018 into 2019, I need to attempt to construct my sport across the hardest assessments that we’ve got within the sport.

“Then as you’ve seen since 2019, six top 10s in a row at this tournament, obviously finished second the last two years in a row, and I’ve definitely become a much more confident US Open player and I’m way more comfortable on those firm, fast set-ups.

“The US Open went from most likely my least favorite main to my favorite due to what it asks from you, and I like that problem.”

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