Could McIlroy use final round of U.S. Open as launchpad?

Rory McIlroy plays his shot from the 12th tee during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament. Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Could Rory McIlroy use final round of U.S. Open as launchpad for The Open Championship?

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Jun 15, 2025 4:37 PM ET

Imagine if Rory McIlroy played like he did on Sunday for all four rounds of the 2025 U.S. Open.

Entering the tournament's final day at Oakmont Country Club in Plum, Pa., roughly 30 minutes northeast of Pittsburgh, McIlroy was well out of contention. Through the tournament's first three days, he shot a 74 twice.

However, he found his mojo in the fourth round, where he shot a 67 and birdied six times, moving to seven-over-par for the tournament. According to the DP World Tour, McIlroy and 2021 U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm were the only players to have shot a final round of 67.

The early pairings are showing that there are scoring opportunities out there.

Rory now -3 for the day after this birdie. pic.twitter.com/04UsCELKPb
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 15, 2025

Jon Rahm Rory McIlroy

The only two players to have shot a final round of 67 (-3) #USOpen pic.twitter.com/ngr9K4OHyC
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 15, 2025

Since winning the Masters Tournament for the first time in April, McIlroy's game has plummeted. He tied for 47th at the PGA Championship in May and missed the cut at the RBC Canadian Open.

The Northern Irish star admitted that capturing his first Green Jacket led to a sense of complacency. He views The Open Championship —scheduled for July 17-20 — as an opportunity to regain his competitive fire.

"Look, I climbed my Everest in April, and I think after you do something like that, you've got to make your way back down and you've got to look for another mountain to climb," he said, per Jonathan Veal of PA Media. "An Open at Portrush is certainly one of those."

McIlroy last won The Open Championship in 2014 at Royal Liverpool Golf Club in Merseyside, England. Winning it for the second time, just 65 miles north of where he grew up, would be even more special.

"If I can't get motivated to get up for an Open Championship at home, then I don't know what can motivate me," McIlroy said. "I just need to get the right frame of mind. I haven't been there in the last few weeks."

Perhaps the last day of the U.S. Open will help McIlroy get in the zone before his next major.

Clark Dalton

Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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