Rory McIlroy focusing on the greens prior to U.S. Open | Live From the U.S. Open | Golf Channel

Rory McIlroy talks about what he needs to do to be successful at Pinehurst No. 2 this weekend and how he shifted his mindset to be better at U.S. Open-style golf. #GolfChannel #USOpen #Pinehurst
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Rory McIlroy focusing on the greens prior to U.S. Open | Live From the U.S. Open | Golf Channel
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we are joined by Rory mooy Rory how does it feel be back at a US Open yeah it feels good um you know I’ve been on a pretty good run of uh of US Open performances over the last few years uh obviously had a close call at at Lac last year uh obviously Windham just pipping me to the Post there um but you know I feel like I really struggled at US Open setups um 2016 17 18 in particular uh and then you know I sort of had a bit of a I guess like a come to Jesus moment after that and uh you know tried to really figure out why that was uh and then my performances from 2019 and um and after that have been really really good so um yeah excited to be back I really enjoyed Pinehurst last time you know we were here in 2014 uh it just got in so I’m I’m looking forward to to seeing the golf course this afternoon we’re going to open up to questions here on the left uh Rory based on either gut feeling or analysis of Strokes gained or talks with Harry or your previous experience here in 2014 between now and Thursday afternoon what part of your game are you most focused on I think uh it’s course dependent so I would say for this golf course it’ll be around the greens um from what I remember in 2014 it’s it’s obviously generous off the tea in terms of the the playing corridors that you’re asked to hit it into but then if you hit get it outside of those you can get yourself into trouble in uh sort of this like Sandy waste area but uh like most Donald Ross courses it’s it’s on and around the greens where um I’m going to have to sort of do the most work and and sort of figure out what shots to hit around greens um obviously Martin here 10 years ago used the putter very very well um so just sort of figuring out what I’m comfortable with on and around the greens I think that’ll be the you know the big key over the next sort of 36 hours front right Gary Rory you mentioned the last five years all top 10 all Improvement every year is there one theme to that is there’s something in terms of game plan at different venues that you’ve applied that is reflected in these results improving every year yeah I would say um embracing the difficult conditions uh embracing the style of golf needed to to contend at a US Open uh embracing patience uh honestly embracing um what I would have called boring back in the day uh you know it’s you know explosiveness isn’t going to win a US Open it’s more um you know methodically building your score over the course of four days and and being okay with that uh and honestly it’s just a more of a reframing of a mindset than than anything else we’re going to he on the left for two Rory you’ve um you’ve spoken about the importance of the short game um here at Pinehurst we always talk about you and talk about your press off the te and that’s the sort of thing that commands the headlines do you think your wedge play which actually is Sensational gets a little overlooked and how much fun is that aspect of the game to you yeah I would you know I I think when you Excel especially at one part of the game there’s a there you know other parts of the game get get get overlooked a little bit I I feel like I’ve I’ve turned myself into a pretty proficient player around the greens um I’ve always been a pretty good chipper the golf ball bunker plays being solid for the most of my career um I feel like I’ve turned myself into a a really good putter over these These past sort of you know four or five years um but yeah the the driving is what people are interested in when they watch me hit a golf ball and that’s and that’s fine um but but it takes more than driving a golf ball to to win the to tournaments that I have and um and yeah I feel like all aspects of my game are are in pretty good shape at the minute stay here on the left with an hi Rory can you talk about Padre Harrington getting inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame last evening and and what that means for Irish golf yeah um you know padri is the um he’s the quintessential Pro uh you know he’s also a wonderful Ambassador for the game of golf around the world anywhere he goes and I think from someone that grew up in that part of the world aspiring to be one of the best golfers in the world um you know Podrick was the one that and I’ve said this before but he was the one that sort of opened the floodgates for us and made us believe that that we could follow in his footsteps you know winning a Cari in 2017 and then went in those two majors back to back in 2008 I think myself gry mcdull Darren Clark um she and lri you know a lot of us we looked at him and saw him achieving things that we wanted to achieve and and it sort of made us believe a little bit more that that we could so I I think he really paved the way for us in some way and um no one more deserving you know he’s uh as I said a wonderful Ambassador for the game um You probably loves the game of golf more than I do in some way uh and you know he he’s a Relentless practicer and tinkerer and always trying to figure out ways to get better and um yeah as I said no one no one more deserving uh than padri on the right to Dan another win for for Scotty at the memorial you you’ve been on runs like this you’ve seen it you know you’ve been I haven’t been on a run like this maybe not quite this special um what is the most impressive to you about what he’s been able to accomplish so far this year uh the fact that the only thing that took him from winning a golf tournament was going into a jail cell for an hour um I think I think just the relentless lessness I think look a lot of stuff’s went on in his life as well they’ve just had a new child um you know he’s been through some struggles in his game particularly the the putter that he’s been able to turn around as well so uh you know it’s not as if he hasn’t had his challenges along the way or you know circumstances have been a little bit different for him but uh yeah I mean the the word that I describe it as is is Relentless it just seems like every time he shows up he is he is the guy to beat and um and deservedly so I mean this run that he’s been on um you know he’s I think he’s played 14 times this year or 13 times this year only once out of the top 10 seems like he’s always in contention uh and it just doesn’t even when he you like the most exciting thing about last week at Memorial was when he made the triple on nine I was like oh looks like PE you know he might let people in here but you know he he finds a way to steady the ship make a few birdies when he needs to and um you know undoubtedly the the best player in the world at the minute by a long way and uh you know it’s up to us to try to to get to get to his level I don’t remember what tournament it was but you were in the broadcast booth and you said you know maybe he should try Mallet because and then if he starts oh Riviera I remember it well yeah do you you you regret uh giving him that idea I well he he already he tried to spider last summer for a couple of uh for a couple of tournaments um but I think the the the work that he’s put in with Phil Kenyon as well I think that’s a big part of it um I know that they started Ed to work sort of after the FedEx Cup playoffs last year and obviously the work that they’ve done has has really been paying off a few more here on the left yeah were just you drawn with um Scotty and Xander again I think you were with them at the Masters is there any advantage to being with those two guys or a disadvantage maybe get caught up in you know playing them rather than just concentrating on on the golf course I mean if they’re playing well and I try to keep up with them then I guess it’s a good thing um no I mean it’s it’s always exciting to be a part of a market goup like that you know number one two and three in the world um you know the the USG I remember I remember back in the day I think it was Tory Pines in 08 watching on TV uh I failed to qualify for that um for that tournament but I remember watching I think it was Tiger Phil and Adam Scott the first two days um so it’s cool to be a part of these these pairings and um yeah I think at this point Scotty Xander and myself are all experienced enough not to get caught up in it and just to go about our business and try to you know sh a couple of good scores to to put ourselves in position going into the weekend here far right Rory Nick Sabin at Alabama used to give his team 24 hours to either celebrate a win or mourn a loss when you have a close loss like you had last year at laccc what’s your process for dealing with it putting behind you learning from it yeah I mean I won my next start after LACC at the Scottish open um wasn’t quite able to emulate that at at the open but um I’ve played enough Golf and a golf tournaments over my career that um once it’s done it’s done um you know you leave it in the past you try to learn from um from whatever happened that that given week but you know the good thing about golf in particular is there’s always the next week there’s always an opportunity to get back up on the horse and and try again two more Scott on the right Roy you you said earlier that you you kind of found US Open golf a little boring at at one point and Piner asked some different questions than other most US Open courses when you get offline and you get in whatever the rough and wire grass is do you like that kind of examination where maybe it gives you some kind of chance to recover better than out of really thick rough yeah because it gives you options and it gives you um like like even going back to last week at Memorial you know people hit it offline or people hit it green you’re basically only seeing players hit one one shot there’s only one option um and that turns into it being somewhat one-dimensional and not honestly not very exciting um and I think a course like this definitely uh Demands a different a different a different skill set um and also some creativity uh and I think that’ll be on display this week and you I’ve already seen some videos online of people maybe trying Fairway Woods or having lob wedges or Putters or or you know even if you you get half lucky and get a decent lie in that wire grass Sandy area being able to hit a recovery shot so um I think for the viewer at home that’s more exciting than just seeing guys hack out a 4 inch rough all the time so um you know hopefully that that that comes to fruition and it and it is an exciting golf tournament one more on the left Brentley Rory I think so many golfers talk about the importance of like the current shot or the current tournament that you’re playing but do you still set like career goals or do you have an idea of some numbers or accomplishments that you still want to achieve before you ultimately hang it up uh not particularly I mean I’ve always said you know I still feel like the you know being the most successful European in the game is um within my reach you know I’ve got um obviously sevy and and and Nick Faldo to to pass there uh in terms of major wins but you know I I you know I’m really proud of my body of work over the past 15 years and everything that I have achieved whether it be season long titles or um individual tournaments or Majors obviously getting my hands on a fifth major has taken quite a while and but I’m you know I’m more confident than ever that I’m that I’m right there that I’m as close that I’ve ever as I’ve ever been but um I wouldn’t say I’ve got like a particular number of wins or or I mean I I want to I want to win as many golf tournaments as I can I want to try to compete and win as many Majors as I can um I think the only thing about trying to pick a number is that you’re setting yourself up for failure or disappointment you know tiger wanted to surpass Jack and it looks like he he mightn’t get there but are we going to call Tiger’s career a failure absolutely not you know it’s it’s arguably the best you know he’s played the best golf anyone’s ever seen um but there’s always going to be that tinge of what what could have been or and I I don’t really want to I don’t want to do that to myself you know I if someone had have told me at 20 years old that I’d be sitting here at 35 and this is the career that I’ve had uh I would have not believed them and and and would have been ecstatic so I’ve got a I’ve still got a good little bit of time ahead of me here hopefully in for the next 10 years and um you know I still like think like to think that I’ve got a good ahead of me and um whatever those numbers are and whatever the totals add up to um you know I’ll I’ll accept that and uh and feel like I’ve done pretty well for a little boy from Northern Ireland that that dreamed of playing golf for a living one day Rory thanks for the time and good luck this week thank you