Rory McIlroy walked off the 18th green at Oakmont with a 67 on Sunday and, perhaps more importantly, with a little clarity. The 2025 U.S. Open didn’t yield the fireworks fans were hoping for, and McIlroy — the reigning Masters champion — was never truly in the mix. But his final round offered a crucial reminder: he’s not lost. He’s just searching again.
A Step Back, Then a Step Forward
For two months since winning the Masters and completing the elusive career Grand Slam, McIlroy has been stuck in neutral. Last week, he missed the cut by 12 shots at the RBC Canadian Open. This week, he opened with three straight rounds over par and teed off early on Sunday, all but forgotten in the final-round picture.
And yet, by Sunday afternoon, he’d quietly pieced together his best round in weeks — a bogey-free 67. He hit 11 of 14 fairways, gained significant strokes off the tee, and walked away, leading the entire field in strokes gained driving by the time his round ended.
“I feel like I’ve driven the ball well all week,” McIlroy said. “It’s not necessarily the driver, it’s more me… I feel like I got a really good feeling in my swing.”
That “feeling” may be the most important thing he takes away from Oakmont. Because while the physical game is returning, the mental grind remains very real.
Post-Masters Fog
McIlroy hasn’t shied away from the emotional aftermath of winning the Masters. It was 11 years in the making — a pursuit that consumed his career narrative — and achieving it in April left a vacuum he’s still struggling to refill.
“I climbed my Everest in April,” he said. “You’ve got to make your way back down, and you’ve got to look for another mountain to climb.”
That next mountain? Royal Portrush.
The British Open returns to Northern Ireland next month, and it’s already become McIlroy’s next focal point. It’s home turf. It’s deeply personal. And it’s unfinished business after his disappointing missed cut there in 2019.
“It will be amazing to go home and play in that atmosphere… I’m really looking forward to it,” he said. “It’s going to be my first time back home in public after winning the Masters. That’ll be special.”
The Road to Portrush
McIlroy now turns his attention to the Travelers Championship this week in Connecticut before taking two weeks off. He will then play the Scottish Open and the Open Championship at Royal Portrush.
That run — especially with rest built in — is exactly what he needs to recalibrate. “If I can’t get motivated to get up for an Open Championship at home, then I don’t know what can,” he said. “I probably haven’t been there the last few weeks.”
McIlroy doesn’t need to chase validation anymore — that came in April. But what he’s trying to chase now is purpose. Momentum. A fresh peak to ascend.
On Sunday, a 67 didn’t win him another trophy. But it gave him something better: belief that he’s not far away. That the swing is coming back. That the fog is starting to lift.
