Rory McIlroy eyes Europe for mental reset: 'Need to get in right frame of mind'

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OAKMONT, Pa. — Rory McIlroy’s goal on Sunday at the U.S. Open was to play his final round in less that four-and-a-half hour and get out of town, and maybe the country as well.

On that front, McIlroy accomplished his objective. But the Masters champ once again sounded like an athlete in need of some time off, which will come after he tees it up next week in Hartford for the Travelers Championship.

“I’m looking forward to just getting back to Europe in general,” he said after shooting 67 on Sunday, his best round of the week. “We’ve got a lot to look forward to, got our new house in London, play the Scottish and then obviously The Open at Portrush.”

After publicly stating a day earlier that he’s tired of the media spotlight, he spoke again on Sunday, and once again addressed the difficulties he has had with motivation following the completion of the career grand slam in April at the Masters.

“I just need to get myself in the right frame of mind. I probably haven’t been there the last few weeks.”

“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. An Open at Portrush is certainly one of those.”

After winning the Masters, McIlroy missed the cut at the PGA Championship and appeared distracted when reports were made public that his driver had failed USGA testing. In his next start in Canada, McIlroy had one of the worst performances of his career, shooting 71-78 to miss the cut.

McIlroy narrowly made the cut this week at the U.S. Open, but was never in contention over the weekend, eventually finishing at a respectable seven-over par.

“Look, if I can’t get motivated to get up for an Open Championship at home, then I don’t know what can motivate me,” he said.

Next month’s Open at Royal Portrush is just an hour away from McIlroy’s childhood hometown of Holywood. Irishman Shane Lowry won at Portrush in 2019, when golf’s oldest championship returned to Northern Ireland for the first time since 1951. McIlroy missed the cut that week.

“I remember the roar I got when the ball hit the green, and I felt like I was about to burst into tears. Just that support and that love from your own people. So I was unprepared for that. I need to just get myself in the right frame of mind to feel those feelings again.”

“Obviously it will be my first time sort of in public back home after winning the Masters. It should be a really nice week.”

McIlroy has sounded like an athlete in need of a reset ever since becoming just the sixth golfer to complete the career grand slam. After not speaking to media post-round for six consecutive major championship rounds, it was natural for the golf world to wonder what was wrong with Rory.

After hearing him speak two days in a row at Oakmont he has provided some answers, but questions remain as to why a man who was the toast of the entire golf world just two months ago seems so unsettled now.

“Physically I feel like my game’s there,” he said. “It’s just mentally getting myself in the right frame of mind to get the best out of myself.”