Rory McIlroy has lifted a significant weight off his shoulders in the final round of the US Open Championship. Firstly, because he delivered a scorecard of 67 strokes (the best of the day alongside Jon Rahm), his best result in over a month (second round of the Truist Championship) and secondly because he hit the driver very well… Without a doubt, the latter is the most important. The drive for Rory is half his game.
McIlroy plays next week at the Travelers Championship and the feelings he leaves Oakmont with are really good. It really seems like a turning point has occurred. “I’m very encouraged with the driver, although it’s not necessarily the club. It’s more about me and how my swing was. I feel like I found a very good feeling in my swing with the driver, which was great. I hope I can maintain that next week. Yes, it’s close, as I said. Physically, I feel my game is there. I just mentally need to get into the right state to bring out the best in me,” he stated after finishing the fourth round of the US Open.
In this regard, Rory has for the first time named the void he felt after winning the Masters and admitted at the start of the US Open, stating that his head hasn’t been in the right place in recent weeks. “I need to get into the right mental state. I probably haven’t been there in the last few weeks,” he said. In this vein, after winning the Masters, he needed a new challenge and now, once the US Open is over, he does see it on the horizon. “If I can’t find the motivation to prepare for an Open Championship at home, then I don’t know what could motivate me. I’m looking forward to returning to Europe. I still have one more week here, but after that, many good things await: our new home in London, the Scottish Open and, of course, The Open at Portrush. I’m trying to get into the right mental state to face that. I feel like I’ve already played an Open at Portrush and remember how those feelings were, for which I probably wasn’t prepared then. And, obviously, it will be my first time in public at home after winning the Masters. It should be a really special week,” he explains.
Rory finds the best way to define what the Open Championship means in his Northern Ireland. “I climbed my Everest in April and after doing something like that you have to come down and find another mountain to climb. An Open at Portrush is certainly one of those,” he asserts firmly. What he is clear about is that he must be prepared for a very emotional week. The most important thing is that he knows it. “I didn’t realise what I was going to experience at Portrush. I wasn’t prepared. I remember hitting a shot at the 12th or 13th on Friday night, obviously trying to make the cut, and the roar I received when the ball reached the green almost made me cry. The support and love from your people is incredible. I wasn’t prepared for that. I need to get into the right mental state to have those feelings again and deal with them,” he states.
His goal for the rest of the year is certainly very clear and he visualises it. “I hope I can celebrate with the Northern Irish fans on Sunday night with the Claret Jug and the Green Jacket. It will be amazing to go back home, play in that atmosphere and see many people I haven’t seen yet. I’m really excited about that. I’m looking forward to preparing for Portrush,” he concludes.
