Rory McIlroy arrived at the Memorial Tournament this week with one eye on Muirfield Village and another on the upcoming U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills. The world No. 2 made a scouting trip to the Long Island venue earlier this week and came away impressed by the course setup, while also offering a clear message to officials ahead of golf’s third major championship.
McIlroy is making his 14th appearance at the Memorial Tournament, one of the few marquee PGA Tour events he has yet to win. At the same time, preparations are already underway for the U.S. Open, where Shinnecock Hills will once again provide one of the sternest tests in championship golf.
The six-time major champion said the course is already in strong condition, but cautioned against making the greens significantly faster over the next two weeks.
Rory McIlroy Urges US Open Officials to Control Shinnecock Hills Green Speeds
GettyRory McIlroy of Northern Ireland
After playing a practice round at Shinnecock Hills, McIlroy said he was encouraged by the current setup.
“The fairways are very generous,” McIlroy said. “They’re more generous than they were in 2018 but the first cut of rough is five inches long.”
McIlroy noted that the rough provides plenty of punishment for players who miss the fairway.
“The fairways are very, very generous. So if you miss the fairway, I feel like you deserve a bad lie,” he said.
His biggest concern centered on the greens.
“The greens are rolling around 11, 11.2, something like that and I really don’t think they need to get much faster,” McIlroy said.
He believes maintaining the current speed would allow the United States Golf Association to create a challenging but fair championship setup.
“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 U.S. Opens,” McIlroy said.
“So to me, it’s all about them just maintaining the green speeds really where they are and not getting them too out of hand and I think it will be a great week.”
The comments come with memories still fresh from previous U.S. Opens at Shinnecock Hills, including the 2018 championship when extreme conditions became a major talking point throughout the week.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler also visited the course before heading to Ohio and offered a similar assessment.
“I was a little surprised at the width of the fairways,” Scheffler said. “But the green complexes there are extremely difficult, and I think that’s where the greatest challenge comes from.”
Rory McIlroy Focused on Memorial Tournament
GettyRory McIlroy of Northern Ireland
Before turning his full attention to the U.S. Open, McIlroy hopes to solve a puzzle that has frustrated him throughout his PGA Tour career.
Despite five top-10 finishes at the Memorial Tournament, he has never won at Muirfield Village.
“Yeah, for being such a long golf course I feel like it takes driver out of my hand a lot, which, you know, I pride myself on that being one of my biggest weapons,” McIlroy said.
“The fairways pinch in right around the spots where I would be finishing driver. So it’s frustrated me in a way that I feel like my biggest weapon is in some way neutralized here.”
Tournament host Jack Nicklaus believes patience is the key to success at the course.
“I think that this golf course is a golf course that really requires patience,” Nicklaus said.
The 18-time major champion also revealed the advice he gave McIlroy before his successful Masters title defense earlier this year.
“I put my hands on his shoulders, and I said to him, ‘No effing double bogeys,’” Nicklaus recalled.
Nicklaus remains hopeful McIlroy can finally add the Memorial Tournament to his résumé.
“I’ve been a big Rory fan,” Nicklaus said. “Now he’s only got one thing left on his resume that he really needs to have and that’s to win here.”
For McIlroy, the week presents a chance to accomplish exactly that while continuing preparations for what promises to be another demanding U.S. Open test at Shinnecock Hills.
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