After winning the Masters earlier this year, Rory McIlroy arrived at Oakmont for the U.S. Open with high hopes and the golf world watching closely.
But instead of making headlines with another great round, McIlroy quietly slipped away from reporters after a frustrating afternoon—his fifth major round in a row without speaking to the media.
This wasn’t just a bad day—it was a slow-motion unraveling on one of golf’s toughest courses, and McIlroy looked like a man who had just gone 12 rounds with a beast.
A Promising Start Turns Into a Collapse
It all started off with promise. McIlroy rolled in a long birdie putt on the 11th hole and added another on the 12th, reaching two-under-par and putting himself right near the top of the leaderboard.
At that point, he seemed in control, even if his new driver—his fourth in three starts—was still a bit unreliable.
But things fell apart on the back nine. He went from two-under to four-over in a messy spiral filled with missed putts, wayward tee shots, and frustrating decisions.
A double bogey, four bogeys, and a face like thunder followed as he stormed past the microphones at the end of his round.
No Words From Rory, Just Struggles on the Scorecard
McIlroy finished with a four-over-par 74, trailing early clubhouse leader JJ Spaun by eight strokes.
For context, Spaun—who McIlroy actually beat in a playoff at the Players Championship a few months ago—shot a flawless 66. Not a single dropped shot.
That’s rare at Oakmont, a course so notoriously brutal that in the 2016 U.S. Open, only one player managed a bogey-free round across 443 total cards.
Spaun scrambled beautifully, saving par six times after missing greens, and made the course look a lot more manageable than most others did.
Oakmont Still Shows Its Teeth
Don’t let the lower scores fool you—Oakmont is still a monster.
Bryson DeChambeau, the defending champion, called the conditions “brutal” after struggling to a 73.
At one point, he needed three swings just to escape the rough.
Scottie Scheffler, the world No. 1, was only slightly better than McIlroy, posting a 73 with more dropped shots than birdies.
Meanwhile, Brooks Koepka looked sharp, closing with two birdies for a 68.
He’s just a couple of shots behind Spaun and very much in the mix.
Jon Rahm sits just behind Koepka, while others with big names were left licking their wounds.
Lowry Loses It and British Hopes Hang by a Thread
McIlroy wasn’t the only one having a rough time.
His playing partner Shane Lowry shot a nightmarish 79 despite hitting 10 of 14 fairways—proof that Oakmont doesn’t forgive even the straight hitters.
At one point, Lowry lost his temper and yanked a microphone out of the ground before flinging it away in frustration.
Justin Rose, the third member of their group, shot 77. Combined, they were 20 over par.
One bright spot for the British contingent was Bob MacIntyre, who stayed even with a 70, hitting 11 of 14 fairways and showing some poise.
But overall, it was a bruising day for Team GB.
McIlroy’s New Driver Didn’t Help
McIlroy has been tinkering with his driver setup lately, and while he’s been searching for better results off the tee, Thursday didn’t offer much encouragement.
He hit only two fairways by the turn but was managing to scramble for pars. That resilience didn’t hold.
On his 10th hole, the par-five fourth, things completely fell apart.
He hit his drive way right into the long grass, ignored caddie Harry Diamond’s advice to take a penalty drop, and instead tried a risky play.
The ball barely moved. Eventually, he holed a long putt just to save a six. It could have easily been worse.
A Rough Ride to the Finish Line
The rest of the round didn’t offer any redemption.
A mishit from the sand on the sixth, a three-putt on the seventh, and a disastrous approach on the 300-yard eighth sealed his fate.
By the end of the round, McIlroy looked physically and mentally drained.
And then, just like that, he was gone. No comments.
No explanations. Just a man who came in with momentum and left searching for answers.
What’s Next for Rory?
After a spring filled with promise and that Masters win, McIlroy’s form seems to be slipping again.
He’s clearly trying to find something—whether in his equipment, his swing, or just his mindset.
But Oakmont didn’t give him any time or space to figure it out.
The big question now: can he bounce back before it’s too late, or will this be another U.S. Open campaign lost to frustration?