McIlroy raising the steaks
RORY McILROY has rubbished talk he is undercooked heading into the US Open at Erin Hills this week.
On the contrary, he feels just like a juicy steak.
The world No 2 has been in rural Wisconsin and practising on a course located about 40 minutes north-west of downtown Milwaukee since last Friday.
It has clearly handed McIlroy a big march on the majority of his rivals who did not start arriving until Monday.
But unlike his rivals, the Ulsterman is contesting just his seventh event this season and a first since withdrawing – due to a second niggling muscle rib injury – from last month’s BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
While McIlroy indicated the injury has resulted in having to manage his practice time THE SCOUT better, he has lost none of his enthusiasm to end what is now a near three-year Majors victory drought.
“I feel pretty good about coming here this
week even though 2017 has been a bit of a transitional year for me given what has been happening off the golf course,” said McIlroy, 28.
“I have got married and there is the time I have had off because of the injuries, so it has been kind of a funny sort of five or six months.
“But I feel like everything has kind of settled down right now and even after what happened heading into the PGA Championship.
“I feel good and that I’m managing my body better. I know what I need to do so that I can play a run of events this summer and give that run my best.
“And whether or not I feel as though I am undercooked, I would answer that by saying rather than feeling like a piece of rare chicken, I feel more like a juicy steak.”
The two rib-related injures this year has meant that McIlroy is not hitting anywhere near as many practice balls as when he first turned pro a decade ago.
Indeed, he is now more of a fixture on the practice green – which has been the case this week while working with putting coach Phil Kenyon.
Instead of hitting five bags of practice balls, McIlroy has cut that by more than half.
“Over the past 10 days I’ve played eight or nine rounds of golf,” he said.
“And I feel really good, as long as I manage the load that I put myself through in terms of practice and hitting a lot of balls. But I’m totally fine to play. I don’t feel any problems around my ribs at all. It’s just a matter of monitoring what I do in practice, which isn’t a bad thing.
“There is no limitations on my swing whatsoever. Preparation-wise, instead of hitting five bags of balls, I’ll hit two.
“You figure stuff out on the course more than on the range sometimes, anyway, and it has let me concentrate a bit more on my short game.
“It means I can go out and play. I’ve added a few events to my schedule, so I’m looking forward to a busy summer.”
Sergio Garcia will take the memories of his Masters triumph into Eden Hills as he looks to win back-to-back Majors.
The Spaniard, 37, aims to become only the seventh player – after Craig Wood, Ben Hogan (twice), Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth – to win the Masters and US Open in the same year. THE SCOUT