One of the toughest outcomes to predict ahead of this year’s US Open is just how Rory McIlroy will perform at Oakmont in a season in which he has won The Masters and also seen his form disappear.
Rory McIlroy has had a bizarre year. He went into The Masters having already won at both Pebble Beach and The Players Championship. It appeared that he had found the gear he needed to contend at Augusta National and complete the career grand slam.
Of course, it was not as simple as that. However, McIlroy did indeed win The Masters. And many anticipated that that would free up the Northern Irishman to quickly add to his major tally.
The PGA Championship appeared to be the perfect stage for McIlroy, given that he had won four times at Quail Hollow previously.
The ‘silly’ comment made after Rory McIlroy won The Masters
But McIlroy’s form has been disappointing since the first major of the year. He missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open last week. And with that, it is hard to see him contending at the US Open this week.
Speaking on the Golf Channel Podcast, Rex Hoggard admitted that he feels a little foolish for being so optimistic about McIlroy coming away from Augusta.
“The quote I leaned into was the idea that he said you dream about standing on that green at The Masters and winning the green jacket. What you don’t dream about is what comes afterwards,” he said.
“There was so much real estate of the backend of that statement which didn’t seem to be finished. Now you are having to deal with things that I think a lot of us in the media probably alluded to but I personally did not believe. I did not believe he was going to get to the top of the mountain and go the David Duval route and say this is it. This is what I have worked my entire life for and maybe this isn’t as fulfilling as I thought it would be.
“That is probably not fair, because I think what is happening here at least at this moment in time is probably just a bit of a hangover from the celebration and deciding that I am going to enjoy this. It took me the better part of two decades to get here I am going to take a minute and savour this. I think all of us should be able to appreciate that.
“But when you have a player of that calibre who just a month ago you and I were talking breathlessly about him now being unburdened by all the things weighing him down over trying to complete the career grand slam, imagine what he can do from here. Imagine the grand slam tear he could go on. I think my hyperbole went so far as can you imagine him doing the single season slam this season? Now look how silly I feel!
“The punch shot yesterday was will Rory contend or miss the cut? I wrote that he would miss the cut. Because of how he has played the last few weeks.
“And in Rory’s case he lets the world in to a certain degree that where he’s able to admit that yes, I dreamt of that moment on Sunday at Augusta, I never even thought for a moment to dream about what would come afterwards.”
Rory McIlroy now getting used to making fast starts at the US Open
McIlroy has not missed the cut at the US Open since 2018. In fact, he has finished in the top 10 in each of the last six US Opens. That includes runner-up results at both LACC and Pinehurst.
He has turned the US Open into a real strength of his after really struggling and missing the cut three years in a row from 2016.
His worst opening round score over the last six US Opens is a 70. A similar performance on Thursday would surely put him in a brilliant position at Oakmont, particularly when you consider where his form has been in recent weeks.
Receive exclusive golf news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
