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Xander Schauffele: Rory McIlroy in ‘tough spot’ after US Open heartbreak due to intense microscope | Golf News

On: June 18, 2024 By: admin

As someone who has held the unofficial title of ‘best player yet to win a major’, Xander Schauffele can empathise with Rory McIlroy’s decision not to compete at this week’s Travelers Championship.

On the heels of missing a pair of short putts over the final three holes on Sunday to finish second by a stroke to Bryson DeChambeau at the US Open, McIlroy left Pinehurst No 2 without speaking to reporters and announced the following day that he will not play again until next month’s Scottish Open.

McIlroy’s decade-long major drought will endure at least until at The Open Championship in July. Meanwhile, Schauffele is still riding the high of his first major title triumph at last month’s PGA Championship.

Until surviving DeChambeau by a stroke at Valhalla Golf Club, Schauffele had a reputation for struggling to close on final-round leads.

“As a competitor, all of us have had our highs and lows to a certain degree. It’s a tough spot,” Schauffele said when asked Tuesday how much empathy he has for McIlroy’s current situation.

“I’m sure him and his team are discussing what happened and sometimes you just need to step away from it all and really try and be as objective as possible, because you’re very much in the moment there and it obviously didn’t go his way.

“He needs some time away to figure out what’s going on.”

McIlroy has been criticised for bolting Pinehurst and returning home without speaking with reporters after Sunday’s final round. He issued a statement on Monday congratulating DeChambeau and announcing that he will be taking a break from golf for a few weeks.

The Northern Irishman acknowledged that it was “probably the toughest” day of his professional career, but vowed to show resilience when he returns for the Scottish Open followed by The Open at Royal Troon.

“It’s different for everyone. It’s hard to for me to compare my losses to his losses,” Schauffele said. “I would say his, he’s under a bit more of a microscope. When things are going really well people are all over him, and unfortunately when things don’t go your way people are all over him.

“So, there’s a microscope on him on why he didn’t win and things of that nature and he’s going to have to answer those questions at some point and he will, because he always does. So, for me, I wear them pretty hard, but sometimes it’s nice to just get back on the horse and compete.”

Schauffele is coming off a T7 at the US Open, the seventh top 10 in the last eight individual starts for the world’s No 3-ranked player entering the final signature event of the year.

Schauffele also secured one of the four spots on Team USA for the Paris Olympics, where he will defend his gold medal come August.

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“It’s super special,” he said. “It’s always an honour to represent your country in any given tournament or event, so it was a really cool thing I was able to share with my family after winning the gold medal, and qualifying was my first goal this year. It’s a very hard team to qualify for, as you guys have seen on this US side.

“That was a really big goal of mine to get back and really looking forward to competing again.”

Watch Xander Schauffele at this week’s Travelers Championship, which you can watch live on Sky Sports Golf from Thursday at 5pm. Stream the PGA Tour, majors and more with NOW.

Rory McIlroy to ‘take a few weeks away’ from golf after US Open collapse which he describes as his ‘toughest day as a professional’ | Golf News

On: June 17, 2024 By: admin

Rory McIlroy has commented for the first time since his US Open final-round heartbreak, tweeting he will take a few weeks away from the game after his ‘toughest day as a professional golfer’.

McIlroy bogeyed three of his final four holes at Pinehurst No 2 on Sunday as he finished second at a major for the fourth time since winning the PGA Championship in 2014.

Having led by two shots at one point, McIlroy missed two par putts from inside four feet over the closing stretch as Bryson DeChambeau ultimately claimed the title by one stroke.

McIlroy posted on X on Monday evening: “Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I’ve had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer.

“Firstly, I’d like to congratulate Bryson. He is a worthy champion and exactly what professional golf needs right now. I think we can all agree on that.

“As I reflect on my week, I’ll rue a few things over the course of the tournament, mostly the 2 missed putts on 16 and 18 on the final day. But, as I always try to do, I’ll look at the positives of the week that far outweigh the negatives.

“As I said at the start of the tournament, I feel closer to winning my next major championship than I ever have.

“The one word that I would describe my career as is resilient. I’ve shown my resilience over and over again in the last 17 years and I will again.

“I’m going to take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up for my defence of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon. See you in Scotland.”

The former world No 1 now has 21 top-10s in majors since his 2014 victory at Valhalla, which is more than any other player in that period.

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Rory McIlroy’s major heartbreak continues: How does he bounce back from US Open disappointment? | Golf News

On: June 17, 2024 By: admin

Former Ryder Cup player Andrew Coltart reflects on how Rory McIlroy can recover from his major heartbreak at the US Open and Bryson DeChambeau’s dramatic victory at Pinehurst No 2…

This one will be difficult for McIlroy. For 67 holes he was looking about as assured as I’ve ever seen him over the past 10 years, since he won those two majors in 2014. He was looking confident, doing all the right things and looked like he was finally going to get that monkey off his back.

The drama that unfolded at the end was quite sickening for all McIlroy fans, friends, family and Rory himself. This will hit really, really hard because it looked like he had it in the bag and within about 40 minutes his dreams were destroyed.

He’s gone on record in saying that the longer it goes on, the wait for the elusive major, it’s starting to feel like it was when he won his very first one. When he was young, he was bulletproof, and everything was coming easy to him in his career. It’s a different age and stage for him now.

For someone of his quality and his ability to admit that just shows just how tense he is feeling over these closing nine holes. Nobody wants to see anyone lose it like that.

Wayne Riley called it spot on in commentary when he questioned why he was hitting the driver off the tee at the last. It’s the most important shot of his week and potentially career-changing, but he had to find the fairway.

There were only 13 bogeys on that hole all day, so it wasn’t the hardest hole if he found the fairway. For some reason he wanted to take driver, he obviously felt like that gave him the best opportunity and the rest is history.

How McIlroy responded to major heartbreak

I don’t think we can be critical of people not doing media after rounds like that. The emotions he has gone through, and the disappointment levels after throwing it away like that, are off the scale.

It would have been very difficult to do any kind of composed reflection and answer any legitimate questions that the world’s media had at that time. He was absolutely sickened by what he had just done.

I think his head will be scrambled for quite some time. There are obviously things going on off the course that can’t be helping either, distractions there that he has spoken about, and it will take a while to get over it.

He has got the Travelers Championship this week, so it’s a case of getting back on the horse. It’s the final Signature Event of the season and he will peg it up there, which is maybe a good thing, but it isn’t a major. He could win by five and it wouldn’t take anything away from the sting and the pain that he is feeling about this one.

The longer it goes on, the harder this major is going to get. Yes, Royal Troon is just around the corner, but the pressure of trying to get that fifth major, getting out of this 10-year slump, right now just seems to be too much for McIlroy.

DeChambeau embraces role as entertainer

That bunker shot at the 18th was off the charts and one of the best shots you will ever see to win a major championship in your life. There were so many things that could have gone wrong with that, never mind the pressure he was under.

I enjoyed seeing the celebrations and big reactions all week from Bryson. A lot of players are very calm and not very animated, but DeChambeau was all week and has been in the last three majors.

He is really starting to get an incredible following and getting people onside. He really has embraced this role of the entertainer – he seems to be a lot more mature now and a much older head on those young shoulders.

He played incredible golf around a very dangerous golf course, and ultimately hit more of the right shots and holed the right putts when it mattered down the stretch. I thoroughly enjoyed everything he offered this week and he was a great champion.

The US players seem to have a bit of a monopoly on the majors right now and that trend might still be able to continue in The Open at Royal Troon. There’s no doubt this win will give DeChambeau plenty of confidence heading there, where he can try and get the second leg of the career Grand Slam.

There’s certainly more to come from DeChambeau’s locker, that’s for sure.

Watch Rory McIlroy in PGA Tour and DP World Tour action live this season on Sky Sports. The 152nd Open at Royal Troon is live from July 18-21 on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the PGA Tour, majors and more with NOW.

Bryson DeChambeau: US Open champion says Rory McIlroy’s late collapse will only fuel his quest for a fifth major title | Golf News

On: June 17, 2024 By: admin

Bryson DeChambeau said he hopes for lots more final-round battles with Rory McIlroy and believes the Northern Irishman’s collapse over the final few holes of their epic US Open battle will only fuel his quest for a fifth major title.

DeChambeau took a three-shot lead into the final day at Pinehurst but found himself two behind before birdieing the 13th. McIlroy then bogeyed three of his final four holes, missing two putts from inside four feet over the closing stretch, handing the 30-year-old American his second US Open.

“Rory is one of the best to ever play,” DeChambeau said. “Being able to fight against a great like that is pretty special. I’d love to have a lot more battles with him.

“I have nothing but respect for how he plays the game of golf… to be honest, when he was climbing up the leaderboard, I was like, ‘Uh-oh’, but luckily things went my way today.

“For him to miss that putt [on the 18th], I’d never wish it on anybody.

“I’m sure it will fuel Rory’s fire even more. He’s a strong-minded individual. He’ll win multiple more major championships, there’s no doubt.”

DeChambeau: Bunker save at 18 the ‘shot of my life’

McIlroy second missed put from short range, this one from inside four feet at 18, gifted DeChambeau a one-stroke lead, only for him to pull his tee shot into the native area and miss the green with his second.

What followed, however was extraordinary, with DeChambeau’s chip out of the front-right bunker hailed by Dame Laura Davies on Sky Sports as “one of the all-time greats up-and-downs to win a major championship”.

“That bunker shot was the shot of my life,” DeChambeau reflected.

“I knew where Rory was. After my tee shot, I was up there going, ‘Man, if he makes par, I don’t know how I’m going to beat him’. I just really didn’t know.

“Then I heard the moans. It was like a shot of adrenaline got in me. I said, ‘Okay, you can do this’.

“I’m so happy I got that shot up-and-down.”

DeChambeau’s insistence on McIlroy’s ability to bounce back from this latest major near-miss is perhaps based on his win here following swiftly off the back of a second-placed finish to Xander Schauffele at the PGA Championship last month – albeit in not quite such heart-breaking fashion.

Reflecting on that disappointment, as well as his eagerness to win at Pinehurst, DeChambeau paid tribute to his father, who died in 2022, and one of his golfing idols, the late Payne Stewart, who was victorious on the same course at the 1999 US Open.

“Oh, man, I didn’t want to finish second again,” DeChambeau said. “The PGA really stung. Xander played magnificent.

“I wanted to get this one done, especially at such a special place that means so much to me, SMU [Southern Methodist University where DeChambeau and Stewart both studied], my dad, what Payne meant to him, the 1000th USGA championship. Stack them on top.”

He added: “I don’t know what to think. It fully hasn’t sunk in yet. As much as it is heart-breaking for some people, it was heartbreak for me at the PGA. I really wanted this one.

“I was a little lucky. Rory didn’t make a couple of putts that he could have coming in. I had an amazing up and down on the last.

“I don’t know what else to say. It’s a dream come true.”

What’s next?

McIlroy is due to be back in action at the Travelers Championship, the latest of the PGA Tour’s Signature Events, with early coverage live on Thursday from 12.30pm via the red button and 5pm on Sky Sports Golf.

The final men’s major of the year is The Open, taking place at Royal Troon from July 18-21, where DeChambeau will again be among the pre-tournament favourites. Stream the PGA Tour, majors and more with NOW.

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US Open 2024: How Rory McIlroy will be haunted by losing out to Bryson DeChambeau at Pinehurst No 2 | Golf News

On: June 17, 2024 By: admin

Sir Nick Faldo fears that Rory McIlroy’s US Open heartbreak could haunt him for the rest of his career after blowing a glorious opportunity to claim an elusive fifth major title.

McIlroy was in prime position to end his decade-long major drought when he charged up the leaderboard on the final day at Pinehurst No 2, with four birdies in a five-hole stretch taking him two clear of overnight leader Bryson DeChambeau with five holes to play.

The Northern Irishman missed at putt from inside three feet at the par-three 15th, having converted all 496 previous efforts from that distance this season, although remained still held a share of the lead heading to the par-four last despite also bogeying the 16th.

McIlroy then missed another putt from less than four feet at the 18th to fall back to five under, as DeChambeau produced a stunning 55-yard bunker shot to set up a close-range par and claim a remarkable one-shot victory.

The former world No 1 declined the speak to the media after his second successive US Open runner-up finish, leaving the course within minutes of DeChambeau’s win, while Faldo – commentating for Sky Sports – said: “That’s going to haunt Rory for the rest of his life, those two misses.

“It was an unbelievable finish. That was a four all fours to finish from Bryson and the celebration of all celebrations! Rory will be broken-hearted, so I feel for him. He’s going to be gutted, absolutely gutted.”

How ‘disappointment’ could hurt McIlroy

McIlroy has now posted six consecutive top-10 finishes in the US Open without winning and had 21 major top-10s since his 2014 PGA Championship success, with Dame Laura Davies – a four-time major champion – questioning the impact his latest near-miss could have.

“It was one of the all-time great up-and-downs from DeChambeau to win a major championship, but it’s a bitter disappointment for Rory,” Davies said. “He [McIlroy] had it in the bag.

“It wasn’t bad golf, he missed a few putts – and that will be a bitter pill for him to swallow. He probably hit the wrong club into 15, that started the problems. The miss at 16 was inexplicable, then the one at 18 I don’t think was necessarily a bad putt.

“It shows just how hard it is to win a golf tournament, let alone the US Open – probably the hardest test they’ve had for many a year. Sometimes it just doesn’t go your way at the end. Will it hurt him? It really could do. It’s such a disappointing loss.

“He’ll be remembered for the two putts, but he played some unbelievable golf to get to four under at one stage. He can take heart from the fact he put himself into position again. He will win one, we know he will at some point, but this will be hard for him to take.”

Radar: Fifth major ‘slipped through the fingers’

McIlroy came into the final day three of the lead and mixed five birdies with four bogeys during his final-round 69, which contained several impressive up and downs to save par before his string of dropped shots over the closing stretch.

“He [McIlroy] just wasn’t up to it today,” Sky Sports’ Wayne ‘Radar’ Riley said. “He missed two short putts and you should be holing them. There was nothing wrong the greens – they are very fast, but it surprises everyone that he missed those.

“He has been there and done it before, won all sorts of championships, but today I thought he would get over the line. That was sad to watch. This is just one of those ones where it’s going to hurt.

“McIlroy has been in some situations before – he has been upset before and bounced straight back. He’s a tough cookie and you don’t get to where you are, the best golfer on the planet for however long, but major No 5 was there and it slipped through his fingers.

“We thought Rory was going to win it but it wasn’t to be… and let’s face it, Bryson, the whole week has been the star of the show here. He’s been so popular, box-office at times and a worthy champion. I was expecting a play-off but it wasn’t to be and Bryson won.

DeChambeau: McIlroy will be fuelled by major failure

DeChambeau becomes the first player to win multiple US Open titles since fellow LIV Golf League member Brooks Koepka defended the trophy in 2018, although has backed McIlroy to bounce back and add to his major tally.

“He [McIlroy] is one of the best to ever play,” DeChambeau said in his post-round press conference. “Being able to fight against a great like that is pretty special. For him to miss that putt, I’d never wish it on anybody. It just happened to play out that way.

“He’ll win multiple more major championships. There’s no doubt. I think that fire in him is going to continue to grow. I have nothing but respect for how he plays the game of golf.

“I’m sure it will fuel Rory’s fire even more. He’s a strong-minded individual. Rory is going to do it. I’d love to have a lot more battles with him. It would be a lot of fun.”

What’s next for McIlroy?

McIlroy is due to make an immediate return to action at the Travelers Championship, the latest of the PGA Tour’s Signature Events and live from Thursday on Sky Sports, before taking two weeks off ahead of his Genesis Scottish Open title defence.

The 35-year-old then stay in Scotland for The Open at Royal Troon from July 18-21, where McIlroy will look to avoid taking his major drought into an 11 season. Stream the PGA Tour, majors and more with NOW.

US Open 2024: Bryson DeChambeau snatches one-shot win as Rory McIlroy’s major wait continues at Pinehurst No 2 | Golf News

On: June 16, 2024 By: admin

Bryson DeChambeau capitalised on a late collapse from Rory McIlroy to win the US Open for a second time with a dramatic one-shot victory at Pinehurst No 2.

DeChambeau took a three-shot lead into the final but day found himself two behind when McIlroy – playing in the penultimate group – made four birdies in a five-hole stretch around the turn to boost his hopes of an elusive fifth major victory.

McIlroy remained one ahead until he followed back-to-back bogeys from the 15th with another at the par-four last, missing two putts from inside four feet over that closing stretch, as DeChambeau produced a sensational up and down at the last to secure his second major title.

DeChambeau carded a final-round 71 to finish on six under and a shot clear of McIlroy, who remains without a major win since his 2014 PGA Championship success, with Tony Finau and Patrick Cantlay finishing a further shot back in third of Matthieu Pavon.

How DeChambeau edged McIlroy in major thriller

McIlroy – playing in the penultimate group alongside Cantlay – got off to the dream start when he rolled in from 20 feet at the first, then found himself within one of the lead after DeChambeau failed to save par from the back of the green at the fourth.

A terrible break for McIlroy at the par-five fifth saw his excellent approach run off a sloping green, with the Northern Irishman then chipping into a bunker from a poor lie on his way to a bogey that moved DeChambeau two clear.

McIlroy missed the green four times in five holes but continued to scramble for pars to stay in touch with DeChambeau, who produced an incredible up and down at the eighth and holed from 15 feet to remain on six under.

The lead was cut to one when McIlroy rolled in from 15 feet to birdie the ninth, with the 2011 US Open champion then draining a 25-footer at the par-five next to grab a share of the lead for the first time.

DeChambeau briefly edged back ahead when he also birdied the 10th and did well to save par at the next after finding a greenside bunker with his approach, only to see McIlroy pull back level with another long-range birdie at the 12th.

A two-shot swing saw McIlroy convert from five feet to pick up a shot at the driveable 13th, having taken a favourable bounce off a grandstand off the tee, as DeChambeau bogeyed the previous hole after an errant drive left him pitching out.

DeChambeau responded to make a two-putt birdie at the 13th to get within one on seven under, which was enough for a share of the lead when McIlroy missed the green off the 15th tee and carded a sixth bogey of the week on a par-three.

Nerves became clear from both players over the closing stretch, with DeChambeau three-putting from 25 feet at the 15th to fall one behind and then McIlroy inexplicably missing from two and a half feet to save par at the 16th.

McIlroy responded to get up and down from the sand at the 17th but gifted DeChambeau the lead at the last, where he failed to find the green in two and missed a putt to save par from inside four feet, falling him back to five under.

DeChambeau pulled his tee shot into the native area and missed the green with his second, only to produce a remarkable 55-yard pitch from the sand to four feet and convert the putt to complete a remarkable major Sunday.

“I felt like I was hitting the driver the way I wanted today,” DeChambeau said in the trophy presentation. “I just kept staying the course focussed on trying as many fairways as I could even though I didn’t but I got myself out of trouble really well but I can’t believe that up and down, it was probably the best shot of my life.

“I was just trying to land it pretty much where I landed it. I knew that was huge to get up and down to win this huge prestigious championship. It’s the highlight of my life.”

What’s next?

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US Open 2024: Rory McIlroy says he has ‘great chance’ of chasing down Bryson DeChambeau on final day at Pinehurst | Golf News

On: June 16, 2024 By: admin

Rory McIlroy says he’s got “a great chance” going into the final round of the US Open at Pinehurst, despite sitting three strokes behind overnight leader Bryson DeChambeau.

McIlroy remains without a major win since claiming a fourth with his 2014 PGA Championship victory, the world No 3 posting 20 top-10 finishes at major championships since.

Five have those have come in the last five years at the US Open, including when coming second to Wyndham Clark last year.

“I love the test that Pinehurst is presenting,” McIlroy told reporters after his one-under 69 on Saturday to sit four under for the week.

“You’ve got to focus and concentrate on every single shot out there. It’s what a US Open should be like and it’s obviously great to be in the mix.

“As I said at the start of the week, it’s a style of golf that I’ve started to try and embrace over these last few years, and it’s the reason that my performances at the US Open have been much improved over the last half a decade.”

He added: “I feel like two shots, three shots, four shots, I’ve got a great chance going into tomorrow.

“The last few holes are playing very, very difficult.”

DeChambeau hopes to give fans ‘something special’

It’s a three-stroke lead that DeChambeau holds over McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay and Matthieu Pavon going into the final round after a stunning three-under 67 from the 2020 US Open champion on Saturday.

DeChambeau’s victory at Winged Foot four years ago came without crowds due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but he is proving a crowd favourite this week.

“The crowd support has been fantastic,” he told Sky Sports. “It’s amazing. I can’t thank them enough – and I’ll continue to feed off of them.

“I gave it everything I had out there today.

“Tomorrow it’s about fairways and greens and let’s see if I can give them something special.”

DeChambeau added, when speaking to reporters: “It’s the same quote I’ve said all week: trying to have boring golf.

“Middle of the green never moves, so I am going to try and hit a lot of the greens, give myself some good looks on some holes and two-putt a lot.”

The 30-year-old also played down any potential injury fears after he calling for the physio round the turn and even spotted receiving some treatment in the woods after playing the 10th hole.

“It was tougher to get through on a couple shots, but it’s okay,” DeChambeau said of the issue.

“I’ve had it for a long time now. It’s just something that popped up.”

Analysis: Can McIlroy ‘make some noise’ and trouble DeChambeau?

Sky Sports’ Wayne ‘Radar’ Riley: “Bryson has no weaknesses. The way he played today, this guy is a machine!”

“Off the tee he just obliterates the ball, his iron play is great, he chips well and he’s a great putter. He’s box office!

“Three shots in front, the way he is playing, I can’t see him losing… unless something spectacular happens and someone comes through the field.

“It’s going to be tough for McIlroy.

“But you’ve got to look at the positives… he’s going to get out there in the second-last group tomorrow and has the chance to conduct the orchestra, make some birdies and make some noise.

“Maybe Bryson then starts to hear it. That’s what Rory will be thinking about tomorrow.”

Who will win the third men’s major of the year? Watch the US Open live on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the the final round begins on Sunday from 2pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the US Open and more with NOW.

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US Open 2024: Bryson DeChambeau takes big lead into final day with Rory McIlroy chasing at Pinehurst No 2 | Golf News

On: June 16, 2024 By: admin

Bryson DeChambeau will take a commanding three-shot lead into the final round of the 124th US Open, with Rory McIlroy part of the chasing pack despite a frustrating finish at Pinehurst No 2.

DeChambeau overcame a hip issue and slow start to his third round to card three birdies in a five-hole stretch to pull clear of a congested leaderboard, with only a double-bogey late in his round preventing him from an even bigger advantage.

The world No 38 also recorded six birdies and one bogey during an eventful third-round 67, moving him to seven under and in pole position to win the event for a second time as he sits three clear of McIlroy, Matthieu Pavon and Patrick Cantlay.

McIlroy remains in contention to claim an elusive fifth major despite two late bogeys in his 69, with Hideki Matsuyama and overnight leader Ludvig Åberg five back ahead of England’s Tyrrell Hatton and Tony Finau.

How DeChambeau took charge of Pinehurst test

Dechambeau started the day one adrift of the Swede and scrambled a par at the first to avoid falling further behind, only to then drop two behind when Åberg rolled in from 30 feet at the third and he missed from four feet to match the birdie.

The 2020 US Open champion bounced back from bogeying the par-four fourth to get up and down from a greenside bunker to birdie the par-five fifth, then added another from 11 feet at the seventh to join Åberg one behind Pavon.

Frenchman Pavon – playing three groups ahead – carded a front-nine 32 to reach the turn one ahead but missed an opportunity to double his advantage at the par-five 10th, before a bogey at the next saw him slip into a four-way tie with Åberg, DeChambeau and Finau.

DeChambeau moved into the solo lead after matching Åberg’s birdie at the 10th, with the American then receiving treatment in the woods for a hip injury before making a 15-footer at the next to double his advantage.

As several of the chasing pack dropped shots over the back nine, DeChambeau recovered from burning a six-foot birdie look at the 13th – where Åberg made a triple-bogey – to pick up a shot at the next and get to eight under.

McIlroy had been three under for his round until bogeying both closing par-threes, dropping him back to four under alongside Pavon, leaving DeChambeau briefly four clear until he saw his ball roll back to his feet on his way to a double-bogey six at the 16th.

DeChambeau replied strongly as he birdied the par-three next and two-putted the last to stay three ahead, with the 30-year-old now hoping to go one better than last month’s runner-up finish at the PGA Championship and add to his major tally.

“I gave it everything I had out there today,” DeChambeau told Sky Sports. “The crowd support has been fantastic. It’s amazing. I can’t thank them enough – and I’ll continue to feed off of them. Tomorrow it’s about fairways and greens and let’s see if I can give them something special.”

Cantlay carded a third-round 70 to set up a Sunday showdown with McIlroy – who mixed four birdies with three bogeys – in the penultimate group, the first time the pair have been grouped together since their fiery encounter at last year’s Ryder Cup.

“I’m pretty much in the same position that I was last year going into the final day at LACC,” said McIlroy, who finished runner-up to Wyndham Clark in 2023. “So familiar position, been here many times before, and hopefully I produce the golf that’s needed to go one better.”

Only eight players remain under par for the tournament heading into the final day, with Collin Morikawa moving inside the top 10 following a round-of-the-day 66, while world No 1 Scottie Scheffler’s hopes ended after a 71 dropped him to six over.

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US Open 2024: Rory McIlroy in ‘great position’ to challenge for fifth major despite ‘frustrating’ second round | Golf News

On: June 14, 2024 By: admin

Rory McIlroy insists he is in a great position to end his decade-long major drought despite failing to build on his fast start to the US Open at Pinehurst No 2.

McIlroy grabbed a share of the early lead alongside Patrick Cantlay after carding five birdies an opening-round 65, then followed it up with a two-over 72 in tougher scoring conditions on Friday morning.

The Northern Irishman only carded one birdie and made three bogeys during his second round, dropping him back to three under, as world No 1 and playing partner Scottie Scheffler struggled to a four-over 74 to leave himself waiting to see whether he would make the cut.

McIlroy has won each of the previous three majors where he made a bogey-free start and has made top-10 finishes in his last five US Open finishes, with the 35-year-old firmly in contention once again heading into the weekend.

“Obviously, not quite as well as yesterday, but I feel like the golf course plays a little more difficult, even though we were off in the morning,” McIlroy said. “Some of the hole locations were definitely a little tougher and you sort of had to have your wits about you.

“I putted it off one green there on 17. Overall, I felt like I did a pretty good job at keeping some of the mistakes off the scorecard. I wish I had converted a couple more of the chances. Hit the ball pretty well. I think I only missed one fairway, so I had plenty of opportunities.

“Yeah, wasn’t quite as good with the putter today. Still, overall in a great position going into the weekend.”

Mixed day for McIlroy at Pinehurst

McIlroy – beginning on the back nine – failed to take advantage of the par-five 10th, after missing his 12-foot birdie, then carded his first bogey of the week when his approach into the par-four next spun off the green and he was unable to get up and down.

The Northern Irishman ended a run of two-putt pars with a bogey at the par-three 15th, where his tee shot rolled off the putting surface, with McIlroy bouncing back from putting off the green at the par-three 17th to chip in for a miraculous par.

McIlroy came close from 10 feet at the first and then finally made his first birdie of the day at the third, then scrambled a par at the par-five fifth after watching his playing partners see balls roll back to their feet and both card double-bogeys.

“That back left hole location on five is pretty treacherous,” McIlroy said. “If you miss it left there at all, obviously you saw what Xander [Schauffele] and Scottie [Scheffler] did. After sealing their two attempts, I was pretty happy with mine just to get it over the other side of the green and get it up-and-down for five.”

McIlroy recovered from missing the sixth fairway to avoid bogeying the par-three and then two-putted his next two holes for par to stay within one, only to bogey the ninth – his final hole of the day – after finding the sand off the tee.

“I was two over pretty early,” McIlroy added. “My goal going into that second nine was if I could get it back to even for the day, I would have been pretty happy. Got that birdie on three, I was trying to claw one back there, then ultimately I gave one back again.

“With the way the golf course is and the way some of those hole locations are, I don’t see anyone running away with it.”

Faldo: Game of survival ahead of McIlroy

McIlroy said ahead of the tournament he wanted to become the most successful European player in history, with Sir Nick Faldo – who holds six majors – believing the world No 3 is capable this week of securing a fifth major victory.

“Rory has just got to find a way to slow this down,” Faldo told Sky Sports. “He drives the course beautifully and is a great thinker, but he knows the weekend will be tough. They [the USGA] wanted just in the red to win this, so he is right there.

“It is going to be a game of survival. Watch the others, it is highly unlikely someone is going to scream out there. You just don’t waste any shots – birdies are really tough to get, it is more defending, being smart, so you just avoid making too many bogeys.

“You have got to look at the other guys and go ‘do you know what, I have either got one name I have got to beat or I am good, I have just got to relax and play and I know I am that good’. He is physically fit as a fiddle, isn’t he, great shape. When he is on, he is the best in the world. He has just got to keep doing that as much as possible.”

Who will win the third men’s major of the year? Watch the US Open live on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the third round begins on Saturday from 3pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the US Open and more with NOW.

US Open 2024: Rory McIlroy shares first-round lead with Patrick Cantlay as Scottie Scheffler, Tiger Woods struggle | Golf News

On: June 14, 2024 By: admin

Rory McIlroy made a dream start to his bid to claim an elusive fifth major title by grabbing a share of the first-round lead at the 124th US Open.

McIlroy, chasing a first major victory since his 2014 PGA Championship success, carded five birdies in a bogey-free 65 at Pinehurst No 2 to match the early clubhouse target set by Patrick Cantlay.

The Northern Irishman said ahead of this week that he was “closer than ever” to ending a decade-long major drought, and McIlroy – who has already claimed three worldwide victories this season – backed it up with his first blemish-free start to a US Open since his wire-to-wire win in 2011.

Cantlay birdied three of his last five holes to also get to five under, with debutant Ludvig Åberg a shot back in third ahead of 2020 US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau and Frenchman Matthieu Pavon.

McIlroy was playing alongside PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele and world No 1 Scottie Scheffler, who carded rounds of 70 and 71 respectively, while defending champion Wyndham Clark struggled to a three-over 73 and Tiger Woods fell nine behind with an opening-round 74.

How McIlroy made early major move

McIlroy opened with three straight pars and followed a seven-foot birdie at the fourth by chipping in for another at the par-five next, with the 35-year-old reaching the turn in 33 and then taking advantage of the par-five 10th.

The former world No 1 ended a run of two-putt pars by converting a 10-foot birdie at the par-four 16th, before a 20-foot birdie at the last saw him complete his first bogey-free start to a major since his 2014 victory at The Open.

Cantlay mixed six birdies with a lone bogey during an impressive start, while DeChambeau – who impressed off the tee during the opening day – threatened a late push for the lead when he carded a first-nine 33 and added further birdies at the third and fifth.

The American missed from eight feet to save par at the seventh, though, and slipped back to three under alongside Pavon, who held a two-shot lead earlier in the day following two eagles in the space of six holes.

England’s Tyrrell Hatton and Tony Finau started with 68s and Sergio Garcia took advantage of a late entry into the event to post a bogey-free 69, while Collin Morikawa recorded a birdie-birdie finish to salvage a level-par 70 to sit five back alongside Schauffele and five-time major winner Brooks Koepka.

Schauffele – chasing back-to-back major victories after last month’s win at Valhalla – mixed four birdies with as many bogeys during an erratic open day, as Scheffler struggled off the tee and fell six behind in his bid for a sixth PGA Tour title in nine starts.

Open champion Brian Harman started with a one-over 71 and Clark made just one birdie in his title defence, carding four bogeys along the way, as Woods cited a lack of sharpness and a poor display on the greens after being unable to build on his strong start.

Woods held a share of the lead lead after playing the first six holes in one under but then slipped back with five bogeys in a seven-hole stretch, although he was later seen on the range offering support to Justin Thomas after the two-time major champion slumped to a seven-over 77.

McIlroy leads after ‘controlled start’

McIlroy, who started with a bogey-free round in three of his four major wins, said: “I went through a run there for a while where my starts at major championships weren’t very good. Probably got myself a little too worked up at the start of the week.

“But back to the PGA (Championship) I opened with a five under there at Valhalla. Even going all the way back to this tournament last year, I opened with a low one. It wasn’t quite as low as Rickie (Fowler) and Xander (Schauffele), but it was nice to open up with a low one and feel like you’re right in the tournament from the first day.

“Certainly the major championships that I’ve won or the ones that I’ve played well at, I’ve always seemed to get off to a good start, and it’s nice to get off to another one.

“My short game was good early on. I chipped in at five and had a really good up and down on six and on eight. But apart from that, I think I hit every other green. It was a really controlled round of golf.”

Who will win the third men’s major of the year? Watch the US Open live on Sky Sports. Live coverage of the second round begins on Friday from 12.30pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the US Open and more with NOW.

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