McIlroy Scouts Shinnecock Hills Ahead of US Open, Repeating Preparation Style That Drew Criticism at Masters

Rory McIlroy visited Shinnecock Hills recently to assess conditions ahead of the US Open scheduled for later this month. The world No 2 repeated a preparation approach that drew criticism before his Masters victory at Augusta in April. McIlroy won the Masters for the first time in 2025 and successfully defended the Green Jacket, finishing ahead of world No 1 Scottie Scheffler.

He used an injury-enforced break to spend extra time practising at Augusta National, a decision some observers questioned. "It gave me the opportunity to go up to Augusta and prepare maybe more than anyone else in the field," McIlroy said on the New Heights podcast. " The Northern Irishman applied the same tactic at Shinnecock Hills, which last staged the US Open in 2018.

He reported that the fairways are very generous and more generous than they were in 2018, while the first cut of rough measures five inches long. 2," McIlroy said. " The 37-year-old added that maintaining current green speeds could allow officials to create a fairer test while still using challenging hole locations.

McIlroy has competed at the Truist Championship and PGA Championship since winning the Masters. He then skipped several PGA Tour events before returning at the Memorial Tournament this week, where he sits tied for 19th after two rounds. "I've been doing this a long time," McIlroy said.

"I've been on tour more than half of my life at this point. " He acknowledged the selective schedule could affect his chances of winning season-long honours but said the approach brings balance to his life. "Absolutely.

But I'm OK with that because it brings balance to my life and lets me enjoy things outside of the game," he added. The Memorial Tournament serves as his final competitive outing before the US Open.