Rory: Open at Portrush next 'mountain to climb'

OAKMONT, Pa. -- By the modular helium acceptable Saturday afternoon, Rory McIlroy accomplished 2 goals successful Sunday's title circular astatine the U.S. Open.

First, helium finished his last circular successful nether 4½ hours -- 4 hours and 9 minutes, to beryllium exact. Secondly, and possibly astir importantly to the world's No. 2-ranked golfer, present helium gets to spell home.

An apathetic McIlroy told the media those were his hopes for the last circular aft shooting a 74 successful the 3rd circular astatine Oakmont connected Saturday. And though helium played amended Sunday with 3-under 67, that helium was done being manhandled by the treacherous people was a relief.

"I'm looking guardant to conscionable getting backmost to Europe successful general," helium said Sunday. "Obviously I've got 1 much week implicit here. Play Hartford adjacent week. ... We've got a batch to look guardant to, got our caller location successful London, play the Scottish and past evidently The Open astatine Portrush."

Since winning the Masters earlier this outpouring to yet implicit a long-awaited vocation Grand Slam, McIlroy has played uninspired play arsenic helium missed the chopped astatine the RBC Canadian Open past week and finished good backmost successful the PGA Championship. His showing astatine the 125th U.S. Open was much of the same.

"Look, I climbed my Everest successful April, and I deliberation aft you bash thing similar that, you've got to marque your mode backmost down, and you've got to look for different upland to climb," helium said. "An Open astatine Portrush is surely 1 of those."

For McIlroy, who missed the chopped erstwhile The Open Championship was past played astatine Portrush successful 2019, adjacent month's tourney played successful beforehand of his countrymen is an accidental to sync his intelligence crippled with his carnal game.

"I didn't recognize however affectional I was going to beryllium astatine Portrush," McIlroy said of 2019. "I deliberation that was a happening I was unprepared for much than thing else. I retrieve I deed a changeable into 12 oregon 13 Friday nighttime evidently trying to marque the cut. I retrieve the roar I got erstwhile the shot deed the green, and I felt similar I was astir to burst into tears. Just that enactment and that emotion from your ain people.

"... I request to conscionable get myself successful the close framework of caput to consciousness those feelings again."

While helium said Sunday his carnal crippled is "there," McIlroy acknowledged he's fallen abbreviated mentally since winning the Masters. The 36-year-old's vexation was palpable passim the U.S. Open. Friday, helium threw a nine and destroyed a tee marker. Then, contempt a 3-under 67 showing Sunday, helium threw different club. This time, the nine bounced disconnected the turf, and helium snagged it with his near manus arsenic it boomeranged backmost to him.

"If I can't get motivated to get up for an Open Championship astatine home, past I don't cognize what tin motivate me," helium said. "I conscionable request to get myself successful the close framework of mind. I astir apt haven't been determination the past fewer weeks.

"Getting location and having a mates weeks disconnected earlier that, hopefully feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, volition get maine successful the close spot again."

McIlroy has a small little than a period until helium plays astatine Portrush, but helium regained immoderate momentum with a coagulated last circular astatine Oakmont connected Sunday.

He carded six birdies and conscionable 3 bogeys successful the title round. He had conscionable 7 birdies full successful his 3 erstwhile rounds. He drove it an mean of 321.5 yards successful the 4th round, and helium finished the tourney starring the tract with 330.3 mean yards per drive.

"I consciousness similar I've driven the shot good each week," helium said. "After the mode I drove it today, I'd accidental I finished successful the apical 5 successful strokes gained disconnected the tee. Really encouraged with the operator and however I drove it, arsenic well. It's not needfully the driver, it's much maine and benignant of wherever my plaything was. I consciousness similar I got a truly bully feeling successful my plaything with the driver, which was great. Hopefully I tin proceed that connected into adjacent week.

"... Physically I consciousness similar my game's there. It's conscionable mentally getting myself successful the close framework of caput to get the champion retired of myself."