The injury is out Dhdfkhj on whether sdffddfs sdffdg Rory can lift US Open this time around SAYS PAUL MCGINLEY
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Normally the Erin Hills course set-up would be perfect for the world No.2’s power play, which has already earned him a US Open title in 2011.
But the recurrence of a stress fracture that has severely limited his playing schedule has forced Mcilroy to go into this, the most physically demanding of all four Majors, with no competitive action under his belt.
The Holywood hasn’t played since finishing tied-35th at the Players Championship a month ago. That was his only appearance since a tied-seventh at the Masters in April and one of just six events he has played in since the turn of the year.
With such a schedule, Mcilroy’s former Ryder Cup captain reckons it’s too tall an order to possess the sharpness to make a run at winning his first Major in almost three years.
Which the Dubliner (right) admits is a real shame because normally the 28-year-old would be the perfect fit for the windswept Wisconsin course.
Mcginley, who will be in the commentary box for Sky Sports, said: “This is going to be a US Open that is a bit off the beaten track in terms of what we have normally come to expect at this tournament. “Chambers Bay in 2015 was a break with the US Open tradition and this one will be too. We won’t see the same fast and hard conditions with firm bounces everywhere. “It is a very long, windswept links that is going to play even longer because of how soft it is. And it is going to be even softer if the forecast rain arrives over the next few days so it is going to be a very difficult test. “Normally when you think of a long and soft US Open, the first name that comes to mind is Rory Mcilroy. And in a normal year this place would be perfect for him. He’d be the man who could be closest to overpowering this course, setting the target for the rest.
“But he has played only six tournaments this year and through no fault of his own he went into the Masters seriously undercooked.
“When you consider he has only played once since Augusta, that lack of a competitive edge is going to be even more of a problem this time – even with his injury problems now apparently behind him.
“You can hit as many golf balls as you like in practice but there is no substitute for playing plenty of rounds in tournament conditions.”