McIlroy Concerned Ahead of US Open After Driver Struggles

McIlroy ‘Concerned’ Ahead of US Open After Driver Woes at Canadian Open

Rory McIlroy has admitted he’s “concerned” about his form going into the US Open next week, after a disastrous showing at the Canadian Open exposed ongoing problems with his driver setup.

The 36-year-old Masters champion missed the cut after carding a nine-over-par total, finishing 149th in a 153-player field, and shooting a second-round 78 — including a quadruple-bogey eight on the fifth hole.

Driver Dilemma Continues

McIlroy has been battling issues off the tee since his previous driver was deemed non-conforming ahead of last month’s PGA Championship. That disruption saw him finish 47th at Valhalla, and a switch to a new 44-inch driver in Toronto has failed to bring the expected stability.

“Of course it concerns me,” McIlroy said. “You don’t want to shoot high scores like the one I did today. The new driver didn’t solve the problems I was hoping it would.”

McIlroy found only 13 of 28 fairways at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, further highlighting his lack of confidence and consistency with the club he typically relies on to set up scoring chances.

🏌️‍♂️ US Open at Oakmont Looms

With the US Open at Oakmont starting 12 June, the four-time major winner faces a tight window to find a fix. The notoriously punishing layout demands pinpoint driving accuracy, a part of McIlroy’s game that currently looks fragile.

“Going to Oakmont, what you need more than anything else is to hit fairways,” he said. “When my driving is on, everything else follows. Right now, that’s not the case — and yeah, that’s a concern.”

Testing Time

Determined to resolve the issue, McIlroy plans to spend the weekend testing multiple driver setups in search of one that offers both control and speed.

“If I’m going to miss fairways, I’d rather do it with higher ball speed than not. I’ll be testing quite a few drivers over the weekend.”

McIlroy remains one of the most dangerous players in world golf when firing on all cylinders — but without confidence in his driver, his quest for a sixth Major title at Oakmont just got significantly more complicated.