First Lowry & Now McIlroy Exhibiting Oakmont Frustration

4 months ago by Comments Off on First Lowry & Now McIlroy Exhibiting Oakmont Frustration

The Irish must not be enjoying the experience of tackling this week’s US Open host venue at Oakmont.

First we saw Shane Lowry show his dislike on day one when he hurled a greenside microphone following an indifferent shot.  The 2019 Open Champion posted a horror nine-over 79 while it was not that much on day two with Lowry adding a mistake-ridden 78 to easily missed the cut by 10 strokes at 17-over.

Grand Slam winning Rory McIlroy showed his own displeasure by hurling his club and esmashing up a tee box marker – clearly dissatisfied with his play.

McIlroy had finished in a golfing ambulance on Thursday posting three back nine bogeys and a 17th hole bogey in a four-over par 74 in playing in the company of Lowry and England’s Justin Rose.The World No. 2s second round began horribly with a pair of double-bogeys in his opening three holes and with McIlroy looking headed for having the weekend off.

McIlroy finally managed a much-needed birdie at the par-four ninth before a par followed at the 10th, but his temper flared just two holes later.

After a brilliant tee shot down the middle of the fairway of the 12th, McIlroy aimed to reach the par-five in two, but a wayward second shot sent his ball into the thick rough to the left of the hole. Clearly displeased, the world No. 2 angrily threw his club.

Regaining his composure, he then scored a birdie at the 15th to get within reach of the weekend, but his Friday was far from over. Standing on the achievable par-four 17th, McIlroy pulled his shot left and vented his frustrations on the tee box, breaking it with his club.

McIlroy managed to scrape a par after finessing a chip out of the bunker and following up with two putts, keeping him on the cusp of the cut line with just one hole left. As the cut hovered around seven-over, McIlroy clinched his spot in the weekend’s line-up with a birdie on the 18th, nudging him to six-over for the tournament and sat at T45 alongside 12 others headed into moving day.

Reflecting on his post-Masters mindset earlier this week, McIlroy said: “I think it’s trying to have a little bit of amnesia and forget about what happened six weeks ago. Then just trying to find the motivation to go back out there and work as hard as I’ve been working.

“I worked incredibly hard on my game from October last year all the way up until April this year. It was nice to sort of see the fruits of my labour come to fruition and have everything happen.

“But at the same time, you have to enjoy that. You have to enjoy what you’ve just accomplished. I certainly feel like I’m still doing that and I will continue to do that”.

McIlroy now heads into round three later today (Satuday US time) sharing 46th place at 6-over but then only nine shots shy of American Sam Burns who leads the way at only three-under.

Can McIlroy make the difference?

Maybe if it is was not Oakmont.

 

 



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