While there is always a sense of unpredictability heading into the US Open, Rory McIlroy seems to be one of the players who could win this week just as easily as he could miss the cut at Oakmont.
It has been a turbulent season for Rory McIlroy. Few would have imagined after The Masters that he would not add to his three victories before the US Open. He seemed to have unlocked a level within his game not seen for several years.
However, he, understandably, took his foot off the accelerator after winning at Augusta National. And that has allowed Scottie Scheffler to return to being the best player on the planet.
McIlroy failed to make an impression at the PGA Championship, while he missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open. McIlroy was struggling with the driver at TPC Toronto, which is ominous given the importance of staying out of the rough at Oakmont.
How Rory McIlroy is looking on the range ahead of the US Open at Oakmont
Of course, the 36-year-old had to change his driver before the PGA Championship because it was found to be non-conforming. And it seems that finding the right replacement has not been as simple as it sounds.
But perhaps there is reason for cautious optimism ahead of Thursday’s opening round. Speaking on McGinley and Chamblee at The Open, Todd Lewis explained what he had been told about McIlroy’s range sessions this week.
“I can tell you that his focus is on the US Open. After missing the cut at the RBC Canadian Open he went home to South Florida. Went to his home course and it was just him and his caddie, Harry Diamond, along with a launch monitor and they worked on his swing on Saturday and Sunday for hours,” he said.
“They also worked on putting a new driver in his bag. The driver he used at the RBC Canadian Open was shorter, the shaft length was 44 and a half inches. He is back to a longer shaft length and 45 and 3/4 inches and he has the same driver set up that he used to win The Masters.
“I talked to somebody in his camp and they have been working with him and all those hours he put in down the range in South Florida are starting to pay off.
“They said today on the range he had an extensive session and he was hitting the ball a lot straighter, especially with the driver, a soft cut which is a fairway finder for him that is in the 188mph ball speed mark so Rory seems to be hitting the ball better, he has a bit more bounce in his step and definitely a bit more confident than he was in Canada.”
Rory McIlroy’s superb run of impressive first round scores in the US Open
McIlroy has got used to getting off to a fast start at the US Open in recent years. During his run of missing cuts between 2016 and 2018, his best first round was a 77 at Oakmont. He shot an 80 on Thursday at Shinnecock.
But he has been on a remarkable run in the event since. He has finished in the top 10 in each of the last six years, including two second place results in the last two US Opens.
And he has set the stage with a superb opening round. He has shot 65 on the first day at both LACC and Pinehurst. Meanwhile, his worst first round score in the last six is 70.
So perhaps fans will not have to wait too long to find out just how successful McIlroy has been in the work he has been doing on the range.
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