Rory McIlroy Facing Backlash for Behavior at U.S. Open

In the week before the U.S. Open, Rory McIlroy revealed he played Oakmont Country Club and shot an 81 - which would be 11-over in tournament conditions.

“Last Monday felt impossible. I birdied the last two holes for 81,” McIlroy said of his June 2 practice round. “It felt pretty good. It didn’t feel like I played that bad. It’s much more benign right now than it was that Monday. They had the pins in dicey locations, and greens were running at 15½ [on the Stimpmeter used to measure green speeds]. It was nearly impossible."

Heading into his practice rounds, McIlroy admitted the course was playing a bit easier after it accepted a healthy amount of rain in the days leading up to the tournament.

“This morning it was a little softer. The pins aren’t going to be on 3 or 4 percent slopes all the time. If you put it in the fairway, it’s certainly playable," he said. "But then you just have to think about leaving your ball below the hole and just trying to make as many pars as you can. You get yourself in the way of a few birdies, that’s a bonus.”

The first two days of McIlroy's U.S. Open were certainly better than his practice round, but there was still plenty of frustration from the star golfer. After carding a 4-over, 74 in his first round, the five-time major champion started his second round with two double-bogeys in his first three holes to sit at 8-over for the tournament and well outside the cut line.

He played the final 15 holes in 2-under to make the cut, but not before Oakmont got the better of him on two holes. On No. 12 he tossed a club in the fairway before smashing the tee marker on the No. 17 tee.