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The US Open is just hours away, and Rory McIlroy was spotted practicing his shots ahead of the opening round in Oakmont. Last year, the Northern Irishman missed the title by one shot against two-time major champ, Bryson DeChambeau. Now, fans on social media have reacted to his appearance.
McIlroy is coming off a major success at the beginning of this year. He won two PGA Tour events, won the green jacket, and entered the famed club of career grand slam winners. His form for the 125th US Open was on display when the golfer played some of his shots in the iconic venue.
Oakmont presents a challenge with narrow fairways, lightning-fast greens, and unforgiving roughs. Before he tees off against a star-studded field in the U.S. Open, Rory McIlroy gave his fans a sneak peek of his form.
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The short video was shared on X by NUCLR Golf. Take a look at the PGA Tour veteran swinging his TaylorMade driver hard:
The clip instantly gained traction on social media and made fans react to McIlroy's latest practice round before the ultimate showdown. A section of them criticized McIlroy, drawing reference to his driver issue at Quail Hollow and the nature of the shot. However, some of them also showed support for Rory McIlroy and skills at a tough setup like Oakmont CC.
Take a look at some of the comments posted by fans below the post by NUCLR GOLF:
"Rory still sucks", a fan criticized McIlroy.
"If his swing isn’t honed already then it’s going to be a long tournament. Should be on rails. Then comes down to putting," an X-user said.
"McIlroy still has the Masters hangover; a significant decrease in motivation. Perhaps revert to his old Qi10 driver," a fan commented below the post.
"That went right into the rough," someone else criticized Rory McIlroy's shot.
"His swing is out of sync right now," an X-user wrote in the comments.
Amidst criticisms and concerns over his dip in motivation, McIlroy's scouting round total in Oakmont seemed promising before the US Open.
How did Rory McIlroy perform in the practice round at Oakmont?
Between 2016 and 2018, there were times when Rory McIlroy missed cuts at Oakmont Country Club. Since the 125th US Open is set to start at this historical venue, the PGA Tour veteran went on to test his skills ahead of Round 1.
Rory McIlroy started the day against a brutal setup. With his new driver and the challenging setup of Oakmont CC ahead of him, the golfer displayed nerves of steel. In the scouting round, McIlroy faced initial setbacks, as he encountered a triple bogey on par-4 Hole 2. Through 16 holes, the PGA Tour pro went 13-over par. At the end of the day, he ended up shooting a total 11-over par 81. On holes 17 and 18, the golfer from Hollywood scored back-to-back birdies.
In the stimpmeter, Oakmont greens ran 15.5, pins were placed on 3-4% slopes, which made approach shots highly risky. The course had thick rough, which would be very penal if shots missed the fairways. Amidst all difficulties, McIlroy showcased patience and strategic performance.
