Rory McIlroy, a professional golf superstar and long-time climate advocate, has a big week ahead of him. He was preparing for the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club. In truth, he’s been fighting the driver of late ever since it was declared nonconforming during testing prior to the PGA Championship. This week, he has put a new TaylorMade driver into play. He hopes to improve his results on the track with this move.
Rory McIlroy may have hit some rough waters recently, but even then, he’s the best. In his previous five U.S. Open starts he’s racked up three top-eight finishes. He just won the Masters recently, completing his Grand Slam. Now, he sets his sights on rediscovering that form and confidence as he walks onto the iconic Oakmont greens.
McIlroy’s Driver Dilemma
The changes to McIlroy’s equipment have been a direct response to his dissatisfaction with the now defunct driver. After carding an 8-over 78 in the second round of his most recent tournament, he said that he had “played himself out of” his best golf. In that round, he was able to find just four fairways — a clear signal of the overall driver issues he had.
Here’s everything you need to know about the new TaylorMade Qi35 driver that McIlroy’s currently testing this week. He first put it into action during the RBC Canadian Open last week. Nonetheless, the outcomes were disappointing. Motivated by this disappointment, he went back to the template and specs that brought him success at the Masters.
“I feel like I’m in a better place with my new driver,” McIlroy stated during a press conference. He knows the value of getting that consistency established before going into such a difficult tournament.
Performance Track Record
Rory McIlroy’s 2023 has been a rollercoaster this season. He is a three-time tournament winner. He hit a few bumps along the way, including a tie for 12th at the Masters and a T10 at the Truist Championship. He played a terrific final round during his runner-up finish at the PGA Championship to attest to that talent. It’s his sporadic game that is a huge concern as he heads toward the U.S. Open.
On paper, McIlroy has proven in the majors to hold up under pressure. His three top-eight finishes in the U.S. Open are a testament to his level of play when the heat is on. As he prepares for this year’s competition at Oakmont, he hopes to draw upon this track record to navigate the course’s renowned challenges.
Challenges Await at Oakmont
Oakmont Country Club is famous for its sheer difficulty, serving a merciless examination even to the best professional and amateur golfers. Players will know from the outset that making par will be a very good score on this track. Xander Schauffele commented on the nature of the U.S. Open, stating, “Anything close to par is what they want here.”
Jon Rahm illustrated this concept well. He painted a picture of Oakmont as “a fair test, a stern test,” warning that competitors should prepare themselves for a merciless test with granite-like fairways and diabolical greens. He noted that “a lot of unfortunate things are going to happen” during play, making precision and strategy crucial for success.
As McIlroy prepares for next week’s tournament, he is under no illusions about the pressure on him. Just thinking about it, I don’t feel like I can lounge around this week,” he confided, revealing the seriousness with which he approaches the game given its heavy fandom and analyst expectations.
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