LOS ANGELES – In an unexpected turn of events, Rory McIlroy found himself delving into his own golfing history on YouTube a few weeks ago. Watching highlights of his past major championship victories, particularly his triumph at the 2014 Open at Royal Liverpool, stirred something within him.
“For whatever reason,” McIlroy mused, not fully revealing his motives for indulging in the nostalgia or succumbing to the platform’s algorithms. As he watched his younger, curly-haired self strategically employing irons and 3-woods off the tee instead of relying solely on the driver, a realization dawned upon him.
“It set something off in my mind, like, ‘You know how to do this. You know how to play smart. You don’t have to hit driver all the time,'” McIlroy explained. “Yes, the driver is a powerful weapon and provides a significant advantage, but I’ve developed a more diverse skill set over the years. It’s time to utilize all my weapons and play to my strengths.”
Displaying astute gameplay and a full array of skills, McIlroy finds himself in contention at the 2023 U.S. Open held at the Los Angeles Country Club. With a solid performance over the first two rounds, he sits at 8-under, trailing leader Rickie Fowler by a mere two shots as the weekend approaches.
While Rory McIlroy has demonstrated his ability to launch drives exceeding 370 yards, he isn’t simply relying on sheer power on every hole. Leading the field in strokes gained off the tee, he maintains complete control over his shots, regardless of the club used.
Rory McIlroy’s front-nine performance has been particularly outstanding, boasting an impressive tally of 11 birdies with just one bogey through 36 holes. One hole, in particular, exemplified his mastery on Friday: the par-5 8th. After a 307-yard drive with his 3-wood, he faced a challenging approach shot of 218 yards with a tucked pin position. Hindered by a tree obstructing his view, McIlroy executed a remarkable high, sweeping draw that found its intended target. What could have been a 21-foot eagle putt turned into an effortless tap-in birdie.
The ebb and flow of a competitive round often provides a cruel perspective, depending on the final hole’s outcome. In McIlroy’s case, Thursday’s scintillating start, marked by five birdies on the front nine, lost its luster as he struggled on the back nine, culminating in his only bogey of the day on the 18th hole. Despite a superb 5-under round, the anticlimactic finish left him feeling somewhat unsatisfied.
However, during his second round, Rory McIlroy’s momentum surged after the turn. While his back-nine performance on Thursday contained three bogeys and a solitary birdie, he reversed the tide, showcasing a scoring spree on the front nine. McIlroy amassed six birdies, with his sole bogey occurring on the 4th hole. His best shot of the day arrived on the final hole—a superbly carved 7-iron aimed directly at the 9th hole pin, narrowly missing an ace. As a result, Friday’s 3-under round felt even more gratifying than his opening performance.
“For me, there seems to be a scoring discrepancy between the front nine and the back nine,” McIlroy noted. “It feels like the type of golf course where you aim to make your score on the front and then hold on during the back.”
The notion of “hanging on” presents a tenuous proposition for McIlroy. Last year at the 2022 Open Championship in St. Andrews, he came tantalizingly close to ending his major drought. Leading heading into the final round, McIlroy faltered, relinquishing his position at the top. Despite an outstanding year featuring three PGA Tour wins and top-ten finishes in every major, he was unable to secure that elusive major victory.
“No one wants me to win another major more than I do,” McIlroy declared with conviction. “The desire is undoubtedly there. I’ve been striving for it, coming close over the past nine years or so, and I continue to persevere.”
McIlroy’s introspection appears to have reached new heights, not solely due to his YouTube introspection. He acknowledged earlier in the week how his impatience and occasional overreach on the golf course have hindered his progress. These words, while referencing his aggressive playing style, also reflect his approach to handling the tumultuous events surrounding the sport over the past year.
With the upheaval caused by LIV Golf and the recent surprising partnership between the PGA Tour and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, McIlroy has transformed from a central figure on the PGA Tour to an observer. Consequently, he has opted to retreat from the spotlight during this tournament, despite his caliber. Although scheduled to engage with the media before the event, he chose to abstain. Following his impressive 5-under round on Thursday, he declined to speak to reporters as well.
During the post-round interview on Friday, McIlroy focused solely on golf and his performance. The contentious topics of LIV, PIF, or even the PGA Tour never surfaced. It seemed as though those discussions belonged to a distant reality that McIlroy consciously chose to detach himself from.
Given the turbulence of the past year, it is understandable that McIlroy aims to simplify things. Earlier in the week, he roamed the unfamiliar Los Angeles Country Club with only a putter and a couple of wedges, exploring the course with a fresh perspective. Throughout the first two rounds, he and five-time major champion Brooks Koepka engaged in constant conversation, epitomizing how the noise surrounding the golfing world can fade away once the ball is in the air, fostering a congenial atmosphere.
So far, this approach has proven fruitful for the four-time major winner. Yet, whether it will culminate in a triumph or another near miss by the end of the weekend remains uncertain. McIlroy, for his part, comprehends this reality. In the face of a major drought that has persisted for so long that the Open is returning to the very venue of his previous victory, Hoylake, next month, he can only persevere.
“I feel like I’ve shown great resilience throughout my career, enduring ups and downs, and I always bounce back,” McIlroy asserted. “Whether it leads to a reward or disappointment, I’ll keep pushing forward.”