McIlroy Eyes Home Triumph After US Open Showing

Following a challenging week at Oakmont, Rory McIlroy is looking ahead to the British Open with renewed optimism. His performance at the U.S. Open showed promise, and he’s eager to compete in his home country.

A Positive Finish

McIlroy concluded the U.S. Open with a 3-under 67 on Sunday, concluding the tournament at 7 over par. This offers a foundation for improvement before next month’s British Open at Royal Portrush.

“It will be amazing to go home and play in that atmosphere and see a lot of people,” McIlroy said. “I’m really looking forward to it. It was nice to end this week with a bit of a positive note with the way I played today.”

—Rory McIlroy

His Sunday round was tied for the lowest with Jon Rahm. McIlroy finished tied for 19th after several unremarkable days. He felt confident in his physical game.

Mental Focus Is Key

McIlroy is focusing on his mental approach to return to top form. Winning the Masters and completing the career Grand Slam was a momentous achievement for him.

“Look, I climbed my Everest in April, and I think after you do something like that, you’ve got to make your way back down, and you’ve got to look for another mountain to climb,” he said. “An Open at Portrush is certainly one of those.”

—Rory McIlroy

Globally, the average performance improvement of golfers with mental coaching is 3-5%, underscoring the importance of mental preparation (NCBI, 2019).

Looking Ahead

Before the British Open, McIlroy will compete at the Travelers Championship and the Scottish Open. He has also been working on his tee game, including the driver.

He felt encouraged by his driving this week, and is hopeful to continue this. He’s eager to compete at home.

“If I can’t get motivated to get up for an Open Championship at home, then I don’t know what can motivate me,” he said. “I just need to get myself in the right frame of mind. I probably haven’t been there the last few weeks.”

—Rory McIlroy