Rory McIlroy Breaks His Silence at U.S. Open originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
Rory McIlroy finally spoke.
After a 4-over 74, the Masters champion assessed his three rounds around Oakmont Country Club as pretty average, as he finished his third round before the leaders teed off on Saturday.
McIlroy had avoided the media after each of his four rounds at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, where it was reported that his driver had failed regular testing before the tournament.
After giving his pre-tournament press conference, McIlroy had continued to shun the media following his first two rounds at the U.S. Open. He finally broke his silence on Saturday.
“It’s more a frustration with you guys,” McIlroy gave as the reason for not talking to the media. “I’m just, yeah, I don’t know. I have, I’ve been totally available for the last few years, and I’m not saying — maybe not you guys, but maybe more just the whole thing.”
The reporting of the driver’s failed test at Quail Hollow is part of McIlroy’s frustration but not all of it. McIlroy believes he has earned the right to pass on a post-round discussion with the media if he chooses to.
“It’s not as if — it’s not out of the ordinary,” McIlroy said. “I’ve done it before; I’m just doing it a little more often.”
By his own admission, McIlroy needed to be patient this week but was not, suggesting that the golf course can quickly cause a player to lose patience and perform poorly.
“I’ve certainly experienced times where I haven’t played the way I’ve wanted to,” McIlroy said. “So, yeah, like it’s not — I actually feel like I’ve played OK this week. It’s a sort of golf course where the tiniest mistakes get penalized a lot, and that’s sort of how it’s felt this week.”
After an opening 74, McIlroy needed a decent round on Friday to be around for the weekend and not miss the cut in the U.S. Open for the first time since 2018.
“It’s funny, like it’s much easier being on the cut line when you don’t really care if you’re here for the weekend or not,” McIlroy said, laughing. “I was sort of thinking: Do I really want two more days here or not? So, it makes it easier to play better when you’re in that mindset.”
Now, McIlroy has one round to go. At 10-over, he is too far back to win, making Father’s Day for McIlroy a different experience than last year at Pinehurst, where he was in the mix for his second U.S. Open title.
McIlroy’s wish for Sunday?
“Hopefully a round in under four-and-a-half hours and get out of here,” he said.
Related: Rory McIlroy Gives Unacceptable Answer on Driver Controversy
Related: Rory McIlroy Resets Goals After Completing Career Grand Slam Win
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 14, 2025, where it first appeared.
Read the full article here