Rory McIlroy has explained one significant difference between Augusta National and Oakmont Country Club.
McIlroy starred at The Masters two months ago as he finally won the Green Jacket and completed the career Grand Slam.
Despite taking almost two decades to win there, the Augusta golf course has always been suited to the Northern Irishman’s game.
The same cannot be said about Oakmont at the moment due to his struggles with one aspect of his game.
Rory McIlroy compares Oakmont Country Club with Augusta National and TPC Sawgrass
McIlroy was asked about the differences between Augusta, Oakmont, and the Players Championship venue, TPC Sawgrass.
The 35-year-old won the Masters and The Players earlier this year without driving particularly well, but he knows that won’t happen at the US Open.
The rough and bunkers at Oakmont are far too difficult for any player to find them several times per round and still shoot competitive scores.
“Yeah, at The Players, the rough is short,” McIlroy explained. “They probably cap it at two, two-and-a-half inches, and then if you go off the fairway, you’re in pine straw where you have a shot if you have a gap in the trees.
“It’s definitely more of a.. You can play recovery golf at The Players. This place won’t let you do that. You’ve got to chop it out and then just try to make a par with a wedge in your hand.
“I felt like I drove the ball okay at Augusta, but again, it’s a recovery golf course. You hit it offline, you can find gaps in trees, and you can do something with it.
“You miss a fairway here, you can’t really do anything with it unless you’re in the middle of a fairway bunker, and you can get something over the lip.
“Much more penal if you do miss it, and hopefully… I felt a little better with the driver over the weekend at home and even today playing a practice round, so hopefully I can hit a few more fairways than I have been hitting and give myself some opportunities.”
Rory McIlroy’s driving stats at Augusta National this year
It’s a testament to McIlroy’s all-around game that he has three tournament victories this season without driving the ball well.
Indeed, he ranked first among all players at The Masters for driving distance but only 50th in the field for driving accuracy.
| Masters Statistic | Rory McIlroy | Rank |
| Driving Distance | 328.88 yards | 1st |
| Driving Accuracy | 62.50% | 50th |
However, McIlroy won’t win a sixth major championship at this week’s US Open unless he’s much more accurate.
The winner will need to be on top form in every aspect of their game, but especially with the biggest club in the bag. Taking less club is not an option because the course is so long.
McIlroy is widely regarded as the greatest driver of all time, though, so you would expect him to return to form in that department soon.
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