The first round of the 2022 U.S Open is currently underway and the notoriously hard course has caused frustration for one of the top golfers in the world.
Rory McIlroy finished his round on Thursday and is currently tied for the lead in the tournament at -3.
Despite his early success in the tournament, a moment in his opening round caused him to lose his cool. His tee shot on the 5th hole put him on the edge of the bunker in the long rough, a staple of the U.S Open.
The ball was so embedded in the rough that he didn’t have the chance of a full shot, so he tried to just pop the ball onto the green in front of him. It didn’t work out as anticipated, as McIlroy ended up going from one bunker to another in front of him, which clearly set him off. He then took out his frustration on the bunker, slamming his club into the side of the bunker multiple times.
Although he was clearly upset, McIlroy was able to regain his composure quickly and hit his next bunker shot to around 12 feet from the hole, followed by a miraculous par save.
Rory McIlroy is exactly like all of us!! pic.twitter.com/ON32KLRdWN
— Prophet Exchange (@ProphetExchange) June 16, 2022
This shot certainly got the attention of the golf world, who took note that even the best players in the world have their moments of struggle.
Rory McIlroy doing his best impression of a lad who plays pitch and putt three times a year here… #USOpen pic.twitter.com/wFiSpPibBq
— Balls.ie (@ballsdotie) June 16, 2022
Me and @McIlroyRory..
Same but… different 😂😂@ACChampionship, 3 weeks. pic.twitter.com/Eypg2xaUIy
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 16, 2022
https://twitter.com/RMTracker/status/1537462345173188608
McIlroy is hoping for a second win in as many weeks after winning the RBC Canadian Open last week. This great start for the 2011 U.S Open winner is certainly a great sign for the remainder of the tournament.
Rory has always been a player who feeds off of a fast start and builds as the tournament goes on, and it would certainly be impressive if he was able to take home another major this week. There is plenty of tournament left to play, but McIlroy has to be the odds-on favorite at this point to be the winner of the 2022 U.S Open.
