Rory McIlroy said this week’s Memorial will be his last event before the US Open at Shinnecock Hills, after scouting the New York course earlier in the week. Speaking ahead of his Memorial tee time, he stressed that tournament organisers must keep green speeds
Rory McIlroy walked into this week with a clear plan—and a short calendar ahead of him. The Memorial is set to be his last event before this month’s US Open at Shinnecock Hills, and he has already gone looking for answers on the course.
He revealed he undertook a scouting mission to the New York venue earlier this week. The timing matters because McIlroy knows exactly how quickly the US Open can turn a week of confidence into a fight for survival once the greens get rolling.
He missed the cut when Shinnecock last hosted the US Open in 2018. This time. though. he said he was buoyed by what he saw before the championship—while also sounding a warning that tournament organisers. specifically the United States Golf Association (USGA). must keep a tight grip on the green speeds.
The concern isn’t abstract. In 2018, Phil Mickelson apologised for putting a moving ball on Shinnecock’s sun-baked greens. Years earlier, in 2004, the par-three seventh green was called “unplayable” and had to be watered during the last round after two players putted off the green into bunkers.
McIlroy’s message, delivered with the precision of someone who understands both how courses are built and how they behave under pressure, was straightforward: the course should be firm and quick—but not pushed too far.
“The fairways are very generous. They’re more generous than they were in 2018 but the first cut of rough is five inches long,” McIlroy said.
Then came the green-speeds detail. “The greens are rolling around 11, 11.2 [anything over 12 is considered fast and last year’s US Open at Oakmont was between 13 and 14], something like that and I really don’t think they need to get much faster.”
He argued that if the greens hold at that pace. the week can reward skill and strategy rather than create chaos. “I think if they can keep them at that speed they can get them firm and use the hole locations that they want to use without having some of the struggles that they have had the last couple of US Opens.”.
The core of it was simple enough to repeat: “It’s all about them just maintaining the green speeds really where they are, not getting them too out of hand, and I think it will be a great week.”
For McIlroy, it’s also part of a larger approach as he “pick and choose”s events leading into the biggest tests. He begins the Memorial grouped with two-time major winner Justin Thomas, with his first-round bid starting at 15:25 BST on Thursday.
Rory McIlroy Memorial US Open Shinnecock Hills USGA green speeds Phil Mickelson Justin Thomas
So basically Rory wants the greens to be fast but not too fast lol. Imagine trying to control grass speeds like it’s a thermostat.
I don’t get why they can’t just make it fair for everyone every year. If they “push it too far” then it’s on them… but also the article says he missed the cut in 2018 so maybe he’s just mad?
Wait, Shinnecock in 2018 was when they watered the greens during the last round, right? So if it’s rolling 11-11.2 now then that’s probably still gonna be “unplayable” like that 7th hole story. USGA always overcorrects.
Sounds like Rory is scouting like 2 days before and acting like he knows better than the USGA. Also “anything over 12 is considered fast” like ok cool, but what about wind? Or the fact people already pay to watch the US Open and then everyone slips around like it’s the whole point.