by The house is the place where the restart is for Rory McILroy. The world n ° 2 finished the 125th US Open with its best round in the championship, then declared its conviction that a return to Europe and a major in its own country will see it catch up with the competition fires which were stifled by this accomplishment of a dream during the masters in April.
McILroy’s atmosphere on Sunday was in contrast striking on Saturday – when he deteriorated the media and revealed that he did not care much to cut here or not – and although a 67 of less than 67 in Oakmont could do this to a golfer, there is no doubt that he suffers from fatigue with regard to state golf.
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He is engaged in the Travelers championship, from Connecticut on Thursday, then flies on the pond. He and his wife Erica will move into their new house in Wentworth, then, after the Scottish Open, will play in the open air at the Royal Portrush, an hour north of Holywood, the suburbs of Belfast where he grew up.
For the player who concedes to feel flat since his realization of the career of the Grand Slam graciousness of this green jacket, this opportunity is only the impulse he needs.
“Listen, if I can’t motivate myself to get up for an open house championship, then I don’t know what can motivate me,” he said. “I climbed my Everest in April, and I think that after doing something like that, you have to come back, and you have to look for another mountain to climb. An open to Portrush is certainly one of them. ”
“I can’t wait to return to Europe in general. Obviously, I have an additional week here, but we have a lot to hope for, I had our new house in London, play the Scottish and then obviously the open. I’m just trying to put myself in the right frame of mind to approach it. ”
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Six years ago, McILroy was a big favorite – with bookmakers and, of course, with supporters – to win while the major returned to Portrush for the first time in 68 years. But in the event that McILroy – who killed a 61 on the ties of the age of 16 – missed the cup after opening with a torrid 78. The 36 -year -old player is determined to exorcise this memory.
McILroy is determined to exorcise demons from his last visit to Portrush – PA / David Davies
“I already want to play an open in Portrush and to remember at least what these feelings and feelings felt for which I was probably not prepared at the time. I didn’t know how emotional I was going to be.
“I think it was something that I had not been prepared for more than anything else. I remember that I hit a shot in the 12th or the 13th on Friday evening, when I was trying to cut.
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“I remember the roar when the ball struck green, and I felt about to melt in tears.
‘He puts me fed up with me’
At least one Irish colleague will be delighted to have heard this transformation of the night. Paul McGinley, the former captain of the Ryder Cup, saw McILroy launching a club on Saturday, then, just a few holes later demolish a t-shirt marker and listened to a bad mood exchange with the media in which he said: “This is more the case I am frustrated by you guys”. And he was worried about his compatriot.
“I did not appreciate that,” said McGinley on Saturday evening. “Rory is better than that. Either do not speak to the media, or give a press conference as this one does not serve it fairly or rightly for the person he is.
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“It seems to me more.
Paul McGinlay says that recent McILroy explosions have been unusual – Getty Images / Ross Kinnaird
Admittedly, he looked like the old McILroy in this six -Birdie effort – who brought him to seven and in the best 30 – or at least the McILroy who ordered the first third of the season, with victories in Pebble Beach and the players before joining Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player, Gene Sarazen and Ben Hogan in the Pantheon of the Pantheon.
As always with McILroy, his positivity returns to the tee and from a technical point of view, this is where he will take the optimism of Oakmont. He missed the cup in the Canada Open of the previous week after an atrocious performance with the club which most defines his game.
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“I feel like I have driven the ball all week well,” he said. “And after the way I led him today, I would say that I finished in the top five in line, it is really encouraged. I feel like I have a very good feeling in my swing with the driver, which is great.
“I hope that I will be able to continue until next week. Yes, it’s close. Physically, I have the impression that my game is there. It’s just mentally in the right state of mind to get the most out of me.”
