Rory McIlroy: The six-time major winner continues to ‘pick and choose’ events

This week’s Memorial will be McIlroy’s final event before this month’s US Open at Shinnecock Hills – and he revealed earlier this week that he had taken a mission to explore the New York course.

While McIlroy missed the tournament when Shinnecock last hosted the US Open in 2018 and was pleased with what he saw ahead of this year’s championship, the United States Golf Association (USGA) highlighted the need for tournament organizers to control green speeds.

In 2018, Phil Mickelson He apologized for putting the moving ball On the sun-baked greens of Shinnecock, in 2004, the par-three seventh green was called “unplayable” and he had to drink water after two players bunkered the green in the final round.

“The fairways are very generous. They are more generous than they were in 2018, but the first cut of the rough is five inches long,” McIlroy said.

“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 don’t think they need to get too fast.

I think if they can keep them at that pace it will make them stronger and give them the hole spots they want to use without having some of the struggles that the last couple of US Open’s had.

“It’s all about keeping the green speeds where they are and not getting out of hand, and I think this is going to be a great week.”

Paired with two-time major winner Justin Thomas, McIlroy will begin his bid for a maiden Memorial victory at 15:25 BST on Thursday.