Rory McIlroy shot brutal score during US Open practice round at Oakmont as driver debate rumbles on

The career Grand Slam winner’s trip to Pennsylvania to prepare for the US Open didn’t exactly go to plan.

An 11-over-par 81 isn’t the kind of confidence boost any player is hoping for heading into the year’s toughest major. The silver lining? McIlroy birdied the final two holes. That’s right – he clawed back shots on two of Oakmont’s toughest holes to avoid an 83.

Even more surprising than the score? “It didn’t feel I played that bad!” the Northern Irishman revealed in his pre-tournament press conference.

That’s the thing about Oakmont. You don’t have to play particularly poorly to rack up the numbers. If a player who can overpower most courses – and whose US Open form has been exceptional in recent years – can shoot 81, the rest of the field has every reason to be nervous. And by the end of this week, McIlroy’s number may even be viewed by some as a decent round.

Thankfully, conditions have softened since that brutal Monday round, with a kinder setup greeting McIlroy as he makes his latest attempt to add a second US Open title to the one that launched his major-winning career in record-breaking style back in 2011.

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“There’s definitely been a little bit of rain since that Monday. Last Monday felt impossible.

“It’s much more benign right now than it was that Monday. They had the pins in dicey locations, and greens were running at 15-and-a-half. It was nearly impossible. This morning it felt… it was a little softer.

“The pins aren’t going to be on 3 or 4 percent 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 yourself in the way of a few birdies, that’s a bonus.”

Birdies will inevitably be mixed with bogeys – and worse – for most of the field this week. In fact, there’s every chance four rounds in the low 70s could be enough to lift the trophy on Sunday, especially if the USGA takes its usual sadistic approach to setup.

McIlroy’s pre-tournament visit was also part of his ongoing effort to reignite his motivation after fulfilling a lifelong dream at Augusta less than two months ago.

“I think it’s trying to have a little bit of amnesia and forget about what happened six weeks ago. Then just trying to find the motivation to go back out there and work as hard as I’ve been working,” said the 36-year-old.

“I worked incredibly hard on my game from October last year all the way up until April this year. It was nice to see the fruits of my labor come to fruition. But at the same time, you have to enjoy that. You have to enjoy what you’ve just accomplished. I certainly feel like I’m still doing that – and I will continue to do that.”

Many expected the now five-time major champion to use his Masters victory as a springboard to add another Grand Slam title this season. But his form has dipped since that magical moment in Georgia, with McIlroy instead focusing on having more fun – a goal he’d set even before his historic win.

“Look, you dream about the final putt going in at the Masters, but you don’t think about what comes next. I think I’ve always been a player that struggles to play after a big event, after I win whatever tournament. I always struggle to show up with motivation the next week because you’ve just accomplished something and you want to enjoy it and sort of relish that.

“I think chasing a certain goal for the better part of a decade and a half, I think I’m allowed a little bit of time to relax. But here at Oakmont, I certainly can’t relax this week.”

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Between now and the end of the season, McIlroy’s focus is squarely on Oakmont, The Open at Royal Portrush, and the Ryder Cup at Bethpage – with plenty of family time and a few sets of tennis in between.

“Basically, saying no to every request that comes in,” he smiled when asked what he’s been doing to reset and relax. “Trying to get home as much as possible and trying to do the things that I enjoy. That was one of my goals for this year – to have more fun – and that’s what I’m trying to do. I’m trying to have more fun. We’re trying to take more trips. Just trying to do things that I enjoy and get back to having hobbies and filling my time with the things that I want to do.

“But that hasn’t just been post-Augusta. I’ve been trying to do that for a while. I’ve started to play a lot of tennis again. Like, Harry and Niall play tennis pretty much every week when we’re on the road, and I’ve always been like, I don’t want to injure myself, whatever, but I miss not playing. So Harry and I played quite a bit of tennis last weekend, so that was good fun.

“Again, just, like, traveling and seeing the world and giving Poppy that opportunity to see the world at such a young age – I think it’s a wonderful opportunity for her. Just that sort of stuff.”

Of course, even when turning down media requests, McIlroy hasn’t been able to escape the headlines. He drew almost as much attention as winner Scottie Scheffler at last month’s PGA Championship when news leaked that his driver had failed USGA checks and had to be replaced before the first round. Scheffler’s driver had the same issue, but the World No.1’s failed test didn’t surface until after his final round.

McIlroy, a pre-tournament favorite at his beloved Quail Hollow, limped to a T47 finish after struggling with the replacement driver head. He skipped all post-round media obligations that week. Speaking ahead of the Canadian Open, he admitted he was “pissed off” that the story had gone public.

He switched from TaylorMade’s Qi10 to a Qi35 for that event but endured a miserable week off the tee, missing his first cut of the season. Now, he’s switched back ahead of his Oakmont campaign – not that he’s keen to talk about it.

“I learned that I wasn’t using the right driver,” he said, stony-faced, when asked what he’d discovered during his recent weekend off, before refusing to confirm which model he’ll use this week.

“A TaylorMade. I mean, come out and watch me hit balls, and you’ll see,” he jabbed when pushed on the specifics.

We did. And we can confirm it’s a TaylorMade Qi10, the same model he used to win at Augusta. Whether it’s the same driver head from that practice round? We’d rather not ask.

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