What Rory McIlroy’s coach has heard about Oakmont ahead of the US Open with ‘everybody’ saying how hard it is

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Rory McIlroy is not taking on The Memorial Tournament this week, but he will already have one eye on the US Open.

The US Open returns to Oakmont Country Club next month, with McIlroy having contended for the title with Bryson DeChambeau in 2024 before falling just short.

Sergio Garcia has failed to qualify for the US Open, which follows The Masters and the PGA Championship in the major schedule.

McIlroy completed the career grand slam when he won The Masters, with Scottie Scheffler recently clinching a maiden PGA Championship title.

Scheffler continues his PGA Tour season this week at The Memorial, but McIlroy has opted against taking on the tournament hosted by Jack Nicklaus.

What Rory McIlroy’s coach Brad Faxon has heard of Oakmont ahead of the US Open

He will, however, play at the Canadian Open, the last event before the US Open gets underway at Oakmont.

And his putting coach Brad Faxon has now shared insight into the course in Pennsylvania, saying on The Smylie Show: “The 1983 US Open at Oakmont as an amateur.

READ MORE: Former Masters champion who is now on the LIV Tour qualifies for the US Open at Oakmont next month

“I had just played on the Walker Cup and I qualified. I had never seen anything more difficult than Oakmont.

“I think Oakmont likes to brag that they slow the greens down for the US Open. I think they say they only need two weeks to prepare, they don’t need to grow any rough because it’s always tough. This year the rough is already a foot high around the course.

“If you ask anybody what is the hardest course you have played – and I don’t mean in miserable conditions when it’s cold and windy, just on a standard day.

“I always say the three hardest courses in America start with Oak. Oakmont, where we are going to see the Open, Oakland Hills and Oakhill. They are just so hard.

“But Oakmont is above and beyond the hardest course I have ever played. I have yet to be on site to see the renovated course by Gil Hans. And what he has done.

“But everybody tells me how hard it is. We are going to see 300-yard par threes. I can’t imagine how long it’s going to take to play some of these rounds there.

“I have heard the fairway bunkers, the way they are designed, when your ball gets in there it gets towards the bottom and towards the lips.

“So it’s really hard to advance the ball. Part of me wants this to be where the players are bloody when they finish, I don’t want to see any rain.

“What would it be like if four or five over par wins this tournament and where you walk off a par five and make a five and think I just did pretty well.”

What PGA Tour events has Rory McIlroy’s putting coach Brad Faxon won?

McIlroy’s putting certainly came under the spotlight at the US Open last time out, when he missed crucial putts at Pinehurst.

Having once looked good for a second US Open title, the Northern Irishman was ultimately outdone by DeChambeau, but perhaps more so himself.

READ MORE: Jack Nicklaus gives his honest opinion on Oakmont as a golf course ahead of this year’s US Open

The LIV Golf star triumphed by just one shot, claiming his second US Open win and second career major championship win.

Faxon meanwhile is widely considered as one of the greatest putters in world golf, a skill which helped him secure eight PGA Tour wins.

The 63-year-old is now using his experience and expertise to help McIlroy improve his putting, with the US Open rapidly approaching.

The Masters champion has three wins in 2025 thus far, but struggled with a T47 finish at the PGA Championship last time out.