Rory McIlroy didn’t play his best golf on Thursday at the US Open. And he’s fine with that, because he still shot a 60 and sits near the top of the leaderboard.
The 37-year-old, who already won the Masters earlier this year, opened with a 60 at the year’s second major. That score put him in a tie for fifth at 1-under, just a few shots off the lead. But McIlroy wasn’t all smiles after the round. He pointed out the finish left a bad taste, even if the overall score was solid.
“Obviously it stings a little bit to finish the way that I did,” McIlroy said, via Golf Channel. “But yeah, it was obviously a really tricky day and just a day to stay patient and hang in there. I hit enough good shots to give myself some chances.”
If you were watching closely, you saw the ups and downs. A few loose swings. A couple of putts that didn’t drop. But he kept things together and made an eagle that reminded everyone what he’s capable of. The key, according to McIlroy, was knowing where to miss it. And he thinks he nailed that part.
“That’s sort of the name of the game around here is knowing where to miss it, and I missed it in pretty much all the right spots today,” he said.
Plenty of golf left, but he’s in position
It’s way too early to read too much into the leaderboard on Thursday of a major. But McIlroy is in the mix, and that’s really all you can ask for on day one. The main goal on Friday will be making the cut, and nobody expects that to be a problem for him.
The way he’s been playing lately, it wouldn’t be a shock to see him make a real run at the 2026 US Open trophy. He’s already got the Masters win under his belt this season. Adding another major would put him in some rare company. But first, he has to get through Friday and keep the momentum going.
McIlroy seems to know the drill. He’s not getting too high or low after one round. He’s just hanging around, waiting for his chances. And that patient approach paid off on Thursday. We’ll see if it keeps working.
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