A dismal back nine was Rory McIlroy’s undoing as he got off to a slow start at the US Open on Thursday, opening his Oakmont campaign with a +4 finish.His score sat at a competitive -2 come the end of the front nine,

All three were between seven and eight shots behind the leader, and all were in danger of being cut Friday. The U.S. Open remains golf’s cruelest test.

Rory McIlroy is preparing to make a big change in his personal life after the US Open, which will also impact his wife Erica Stoll and their young daughter. The reigning Masters champion faces a battle to make the cut at Oakmont Country Club after a poor start to the tournament.

Two players many expected to play well this week, Rory McIlroy and Shane Lowry, flopped in the first round of the U.S. Open on Thursday.

Rory McIlroy won the Masters in April. But he skipped media interviews for a fifth straight major round on Thursday after he struggled on the back nine at the US Open.

Rory McIlroy had a horrible feeling of deja vu after his US Open hopes were dented on the opening day at Oakmont, where most of the big names suffered.

Rory McIlroy's New Personal Record at US Open Is Turning Heads originally appeared on Athlon Sports. It has been quite a stretch for Rory McIlroy in recent weeks, mostly filled with lows for the PGA Tour star ahead of the U.S. Open. If McIlroy's start at Oakmont is any indication, things could be turning around for the golfer.

While he had a furious start at Oakmont, at least when it came to the first nine holes, McIlroy experienced a huge slump over the next nine holes. Rory experienced disaster on the par-5 fourth hole. Namely, Rory was trying to find a solution for Oakmont rough, and despite a long putt of 10 meters for bogey, McIlroy was already shaken.

Welcome to Rory’s world, always a rather complicated and sometimes turbulent ride.

Rory McIlroy disclosed what he shot during a practice round at Oakmont ahead of the U.S. Open, and its 'Toughest Test in Golf' title seems to hold.

You climb Everest, you don’t exactly turn around and go back again,” said Rory McIlroy ahead of the 2025 U.S. Open.