Journalist shares aspect of Rory McIlroy’s game which is so much better than people give him credit for

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Golf writer Ryan Lavner has suggested what Rory McIlroy does not actually get enough credit for as the Northern Irishman looks to bounce back from the agony of the US Open at The Open Championship this week.

Plenty of eyes will be on how Rory McIlroy fares at Royal Troon this week. Of course, he is still looking for his first major title since 2014 – and he goes into The Open Championship off the back of his most heartbreaking finish in a major over the last decade.

McIlroy failed to win the US Open at Pinehurst despite boasting a two shot lead over Bryson DeChambeau at one stage on the back nine on Sunday in North Carolina. Three bogeys in the final four holes from the 35-year-old saw DeChambeau seal victory. He would miss two short putts on 16 and 18 to miss out.

Some feared that those putts would haunt McIlroy for the rest of his career, and it was no surprise to see him take some time away from the game in the weeks after the US Open.

Why Rory McIlroy does not get enough credit

But perhaps those of us worried about how McIlroy will respond at The Open have reason to be optimistic. Speaking on the Golf Channel Podcast, Lavner suggested that the former world number one has a track record for being able to bounce back.

“I think Rory is more durable and resilient than perhaps he’s given credit for. When he mentions what happened at the US Open, that was not the most difficult loss of his career. He pointed at the 2011 Masters in which he had a four-shot lead and shot 80 in the final round. What happens two months later, he wins at Congressional in a rout for his first major championship,” he said.

“He also mentioned the 2022 Open Championship where he had the 54 hole lead, playing with Viktor Hovland, he hits every single green in regulation but makes just two birdies and ends up two shy of Cam Smith. I remember him crying on his wife Erica’s shoulder as he departed there. What happens a month later, he wins a third FedEx Cup title. He’s tougher, he’s more resilient, he’s more durable than perhaps we give him credit for.”

2011 US Open will inspire Northern Irishman this week

This week definitely has the potential to evoke memories of the 2011 US Open when McIlroy absolutely blew the field away to clinch that first major. The margin of victory was impressive enough before you even factored in what had happened at Augusta National.

It feels important that McIlroy contends at a major again as soon as possible, just to make a start on banishing the demons of what happened at Pinehurst.

Lavner obviously feels that there are likely to be fewer scars than many might expect, but it still feels important that McIlroy is able to silence the talk surrounding the impact of the US Open as quickly as possible.