US Open 2023: Rory McIlroy sees ‘big steps of progress’ ahead of latest major bid in Los Angeles | Golf News

Rory McIlroy plays alongside Brooks Koepka and Hideki Matsuyama for the first two rounds in Los Angeles; World No 3 cancelled his pre-tournament press conference ahead of the US Open; Watch live on Thursday from 3pm on Sky Sports Golf

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Rory McIlroy says he is ‘building towards something’ and says he’s figured out the US Open as he looks to win the tournament for a second time

Rory McIlroy believes he has made ‘big steps of progress’ in his game ahead of his latest bid to end his nine-year major drought at the 123rd US Open.

McIlroy cancelled his pre-tournament press conference to avoid a repeat of the previous week at the RBC Canadian Open, where after he described questions about the PGA Tour and DP World Tour’s surprise partnership with Saudi Arabia’s PIF as the “most uncomfortable” he has felt for a year.

The former world No 1, who missed the cut at The Masters and failed to contend at the PGA Championship, finished tied-seventh at the Memorial Tournament after a final-round 75 before seeing his hopes of a historic three-peat in Canada ended by a disappointing Sunday.

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Former world No.1 Rory McIlroy says playing at the US Open is a different challenge as he walks the course at the Los Angeles Country Club

The world No 3 ended in a share of ninth in Toronto, his third consecutive top-10 finish on the PGA Tour and his fifth in his last eighth starts, with McIlroy pleased with the strides he is making heading into the third major of the year.

“I would say I’m building towards something,” McIlroy told Sky Sports. I’m certainly feeling a lot better coming into this major championship than I was going to Oak Hill.

“I sort of pieced it together around Oak Hill and did okay, but the last two performances – minus the two Sundays – have been really big steps of progress and it’s just about trying to build on that.”

McIlroy won the US Open in 2011, storming to a record-breaking victory at Congressional Country Club, although has been unable to add to his tally of four majors since his 2014 PGA Championship success.

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As Rory McIlroy bids to win his first major title since the 2014 PGA Championship, take a look at the best bits from his final round at Valhalla

The Northern Irishman missed three consecutive cuts at the US Open between 2016 and 2018 before posting top-10 finishes in his last four appearances, including a share of fifth during Matt Fitzpatrick’s victory at Brookline last June, giving him confidence heading into this week in California.

“It’s great to have your name on a trophy like this,” McIlroy added. “It [2011] does feel like a lifetime ago and I honestly think it’s the best week of ball-striking I’ve ever had. I don’t know whether I’ve hit the ball better than that week.

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Watch the US Open live on Sky Sports, as Matt Fitzpatrick defends his title at the Los Angeles Country Club

“I’ve sort of had my ups and downs in this tournament as the years have gone by, but I feel like I’ve figured it out. I’ve started to figure out how to handle US Open conditions and tests and I think there’s certainly a lot more patience in my game than there used to be.”

McIlroy, who will partner Brooks Koepka and Hideki Matsuyama for the first two rounds at Los Angeles Country Club, played a practice round on his own early on Tuesday morning and is intrigued by the challenge the par-70 layout.

Beem: McIlroy ‘should be most upset’ by deal between tours

McIlroy admitted ahead of his Canadian Open defence last week that he felt like a “sacrificial lamb” and still “hated” LIV Golf as he responded to the shock declaration of peace in golf’s civil war.

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Watch all the key moments from Rory McIlroy’s action-packed press conference at the RBC Canadian Open last week

The 34-year-old only found out about the agreement the morning that the stunning deal was announced last week, a decision that surprised players across all tours, with former PGA champion Rich Beem feeling that McIlroy can feel more hard done by than most by the deal.

“He’s the one who was truly out there at the forefront and there were a lot of people who got sick and tired of him being out there, but he felt it was his duty to go out there and represent the PGA Tour,” Beem told Sky Sports News.

Can Rory McIlroy end his major drought this week at the US Open?

“Then, all of a sudden, Ponte Vedra [PGA Tour headquarters] comes back and says ‘by the way, we’re going to merge with this group’, it’s like ‘I just did everything for nothing’. I think it hurt his feelings – as it should.

“If it were me, I’d be absolutely livid with it. Thankfully, he’s a little more level-headed than I am, but if there’s anybody in this discussion who should be the most upset, I think it’s him.”

Who will win the US Open? Watch the third men’s major of the year exclusively live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 3pm on Sky Sports Golf.