Rory McIlroy scouting mission fails to pay off in | Golf News

Rory McIlroy’s latest scouting journey to Oakmont forward of the U.S. Open did not go as easily as the Masters champion had hoped, with a much less than spectacular efficiency on the course.

The third main of the season tees off close to Pittsburgh this Thursday, and during the pre-tournament press convention, McIlroy brazenly admitted to struggling on the course, scoring an 11-over-par 81 during his June 2 apply spherical. Despite this, he confirmed tenacity by ending with birdies on his final two holes to reduce the blow to his scorecard.

Oakmont’s notorious problem is dominating discussions in the lead-up to the championship, with its intimidating tough and slippery greens anticipated to check even probably the most seasoned golfers.

During his Tuesday morning apply session, McIlroy really appreciated the latest rain in Pittsburgh that softened the course and tamed the usually daunting greens. In distinction, the dry circumstances he confronted final week made the problem appear nearly “impossible.

“There’s positively been a little bit of rain since that Monday. Last Monday felt inconceivable. I birdied the final two holes for 81. It felt fairly good. It did not really feel like I performed that dangerous,” the 36-year-old admitted.

“It’s a lot more benign proper now than it was that Monday. They had the pins in dicey areas, and greens have been operating at 15.5 [on the stimpmeter]. It was practically inconceivable.

“This morning it felt a little softer. The pins aren’t going to be on three or four per cent slopes all the time. If you put it in the fairway, it’s certainly playable. But then you just have to think about leaving your ball below the hole and just trying to make as many pars as you can.

“You get your self in the best way of a few birdies, that’s a bonus. It’s very penal if you miss. Sometimes it is penal if you do not miss. But the individual with probably the most persistence and the best angle this week is the one who’s going to win.”

Reflecting on a revealing practice round at Oakmont, McIlroy found himself contemplating not merely his performance on the greens, but his entire golf game.

DON’T MISS…

His recent outing was memorable for unfortunate reasons – a 12-shot miss from making the cut at the Canadian Open, dominated by a troublesome eight-over-par during his second round at TPC Toronto.

Complications in Canada were magnified by errant tee shots, prompting him to devote his unscheduled weekend break to practicing with a new driver, all in an effort to get back the groove that propelled him to a trio of early-season wins.

“You miss a fairway right here, you possibly can’t actually do something with it unless you are in the center of a fairway bunker and you may get one thing over the lip,” he noted.

“It’s definitely a lot rougher than Augusta if you do finish up lacking. I really feel a little higher with the motive force over the weekend at home and even at this time enjoying a apply spherical, so hopefully I can hit a few more fairways than I’ve been hitting and give myself some alternatives.”