Rory McIlroy’s comments at Pinehurst speak volumes after US Open first round

Rory McIlroy is brimming with confidence after a stellar opening round at the US Open, as he shared the top spot on the leaderboard with Patrick Cantlay at five under.

The Northern Irish golf ace delivered a composed performance at Pinehurst, setting himself apart as a joint-leader while competitors struggled to keep pace but has since dropped to joint-third during Friday's (June 14) second round session.

With his sights set on breaking a major title drought that has lingered since 2024, the 35-year-old appeared upbeat post-round, highlighting the significance of starting strong in such tournaments, reports the Mirror.

"I went through a run there for a while where my starts at major championships weren't very good. Probably got myself a little too worked up at the start of the week," McIlroy reflected on his previous challenges at majors.

"Certainly the major championships I've won, or the ones I've played well at, I've always seemed to get off to a good start," he continued, emphasising the advantage of early momentum. "I think more so in this championship, getting off to a good start is really important to give yourself as much of a cushion as possible."

McIlroy's track record supports his strategy; he led from day one during his first major victory at the 2011 US Open, was just behind the leader in the 2012 PGA Championship, and topped the leaderboard at the 2014 Open and was T4 at the 2014 PGA, both of which he claimed triumphantly.

While McIlroy failed to secure a solo lead at Pinehurst due to Patrick Cantlay's equally impressive round, the golfer delivered a flawless performance on the course. Going bogey-free on day one and rounding off his game with an 18th hole birdie, McIlroy's championship form is evident.

Following his near-miss last year, the double PGA Championship winner is closing in on his second US Open title. He finished as runner-up when Wyndham Clark earned his first major victory, during which time he admits certain aspects of his game have seen improvement.

"I feel like I'm the same player. I was hitting the ball really good," he stated, adding: "If anything, I'd say my iron play is maybe a touch better this year just looking at the stats. But overall I feel like I'm pretty much the same golfer." McIlroy expressed fondness for the Pinehurst course, stating that it evokes memories of his childhood trysts with links golf.

"It sort of brings me back to links golf when I was a kid a little bit," he commented. "The greens are a bit more sort of slopey and there's a bit more movement on them, but there's options. You can chip it. You can putt it. I'd love if we played more golf courses like this."

He continued by saying: "It's a lot different than the golf that we play week in, week out. I really appreciate that. Just becoming more of a student of the game again and I think because of that I've started to embrace golf courses and setups like this."