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The Irish Sun
a day ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Rory McIlroy shines with six birdies at Travelers Championship while Jordan Spieth battles through visible injury
RORY MCILROY maintained his resurgence after his low final round-of-the-day at last week's US Open. The Northern Irishman carded a flawless opening round of six-under-par 64 at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut. Advertisement 2 Rory McIlroy carded a six under par round of 67 at TPC River Highlands 2 Jordan Spieth was visibly injured during his round but attempted to battle on Fresh off a final-round 67 at the US Open, McIlroy carried that momentum into the low-scoring TPC River Highlands track. The Masters champions carded six birdies to sit tied-second midway through Day 1. He is two shots behind early leader Aaron Eckroat, who carded a stunning - career best - round of 65 to hold the clubhouse lead. McIlroy was joined in the clubhouse at six-under by his US Ryder Cup captain playing partner Keegan Bradley, and 2023 US Open champion Wyndham Clark. Advertisement read more on golf Cameron Young sits one back on five-under, while a packed group at four-under includes Viktor Hovland, Tommy Fleetwood, and Jason Day. Jordan Spieth pulled up during his round with an injury, the three-time major winner clearly in discomfort after the 6th hole of his opening round. He followed up on the 7th - but wailed in pain after his tee shot - as he attempts to solider on as he remains on course at time of publish. Many of the afternoon starters have just teed off on the east coast of the United States with the tee times later than usual for the final Signature event of the season. Advertisement Most read in Golf The Travelers purse is $20 million, with $3.6 million going to the winner in addition to 700 FedEx Cup points. There is no cut at the Travelers Championship. All 72 players will play all four rounds. All the action is live on Sky Sports Golf.
The Irish Sun
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Irish Sun
Rory McIlroy opens up on ‘physically and mental' reset after ‘gruelling' US Open test at Oakmont
RORY MCILROY has held a press conference ahead of the Travelers Championship at TPC Cromwell. It's the first time the 2 Rory McIlroy spoke at the Travelerers Championship about how he resets after tough weeks 2 Rory McIlroy had. a tough week at last week's US Open as his average form continued since his Masters win The world number two is set to play in the final 'Signature' event of the McIlroy, who endured a disappointing final round at Oakmont after barely making the cut had declined to give interviews earlier in the major week. Down native McIlroy tried to justify the decision as he insisted that he had 'earned the right' to speak on his own terms. He said of his brief blackout: "It's just frustration with you guys [some sections of the media]. read more on golf "I have been totally available for the past number of years. "That [driver issue] was a part of it, but at Augusta, I skipped you guys on Thursday. "It's not out of the ordinary as I've done it before, but I am doing it a little more often. "I feel like I've earned the right to do whatever I want to do." Most read in Golf But he's spoken ahead of a far less challenging test than Oakmont on Wednesday afternoon. And the far more relaxed McIlroy Watch Bob MacIntyre's classy reaction after JJ Spaun holes winning putt at US Open He said: "I think everyone has got their own way of recovering from gruelling weeks. But I think they're just the little habits that you pick up along the way. "Wether it's physical, mental or getting away from it - giving yourself a little bit of time to recharge. "But, yeah it's important to take care of yourself physically and mental - especially when there's these big events - and there's a lot of pressure and expectation. "It is important to get away from all that as well." Holywood hotshot McIlroy went on to admit that he likes a glass of wine on a Sunday after an event. That was before he admitted that he uses the Monday after an event to hit the 'reset' button. The Down native gets his Travelers Championship underway on Thursday alongside 2025 U.S. Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley at 3:35pm IST. All the action will be live on Sky Sports Golf.
Irish Examiner
5 days ago
- Sport
- Irish Examiner
Spaun writes his Oakmont fairytale as magical putt seals wet and wild US Open
A week that began with JJ Spaun diving into how his Sawgrass showdown with Rory McIlroy had elevated his game ended with the unheralded American joining the Irishman in the 2025 major winners' circle. But so much happened in between Spaun's early Thursday 66 and his closing act which clinched an utterly enthralling US Open. Scratch that. So much happened between Spaun's Sunday front nine and his remarkable back nine. Ultimately when the years roll by and whatever comes next comes, one happening will last forever in the memory banks. Needing a par on a soaked-right-through 18th hole to clinch a major win which may go down as one of the least likely in a decade or more, Spaun stepped over a 64-footer for birdie knowing two putts would be enough to change his life forever. He needed just one. J.J. Spaun 🥶 What a way to win the U.S. Open! 🏆 — Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) June 16, 2025 Having been given a good guide of both line and speed by playing partner Viktor Hovland, Spaun sent a scintillating snaking putt off to meet its moment on the last of the 18 bewitching greens which had bewildered so many of the game's best all week. As the ball got about two thirds of the way along its journey it started to turn and roll and turn again. Its destination became clear: immortality. Spaun was the last man standing after a gruelling week of golf. Of the 156 players who'd pitched up to the hallowed turf in Pittsburgh, he was the only one to finish under par, just one of many wild statistics which will be pored over in the days, weeks and months to come. The 34-year-old, who'd begun the year ranked 115th in the world and had just a solitary PGA Tour victory to his name, has been having a career year. He forced McIlroy all the way to a Monday playoff at the Players in March and took inspiration away from Sawgrass. But when he started his Sunday tilt at glory in Oakmont it went awry in a hurry. He bogeyed five of his first six for a front-nine tally of 40. The golfing gods didn't look to be on his side. But the weather gods may have been. After a much-delayed afternoon, relentless rains inundating the course, Spaun re-emerged a changed man and slowly wrestled control before a birdie on 17 pushed him one clear of Scotland's Robert MacIntyre. His instantly iconic putt for the ages sealed a two-shot victory, his two young daughters rushing to embrace the Father's Day champion. 'I never thought I would be here holding this trophy,' Spaun said afterwards. 'I never knew what my ceiling was. I'm so proud I have been resilient.' As every angle of his putt was replayed one was particularly pleasing on the eye — a look inside the scorer's office where MacIntyre sat watching. The Scottish Ryder Cup star applauded and exclaimed 'wow'. There were no other words for it. Bob MacIntyre's reaction to JJ Spaun's winning putt 😲👏 — Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) June 16, 2025 MacIntyre burst into contention to become Scotland's first major winner since 1999 on Sunday at a rain-soaked Oakmont after producing an excellent two-under-par 68. That made him the clubhouse leader at one over and he looked set for at least a play-off against Spaun, who had two holes to play. But the American first sent a stunning 309-yard drive onto the green at the short par-four 17th and two-putted for a birdie before sinking his mammoth effort to seal glory. While the 17th hole helped Spaun's dreams come true, it killed Tyrell Hatton's. The Englishman was in a five-way tie for the lead at one over when he found himself still in the rough after three shots. He bogeyed that and then the 18th to finish three over. Spaun may consider the thunderstorm at around 4pm local time (9pm BST) to be divine intervention. Before the heavens opened at Oakmont and forced a 96-minute delay, the first-round leader was five over for his round after eight holes. But while leaders Sam Burns and Adam Scott floundered in the soaking conditions after the resumption, Spaun found his best game and birdies at the 12th, 14th, 17th and 18th took him to glory. Indeed, Burns and Scott could not cope after the restart as they seemed in competition to see who could find the worst positions in the rough. Burns was the overnight leader at four under but his round disintegrated after the resumption, with two double bogeys in an ugly round of eight over par to finish tied for seventh on four over. Scott, hoping to win a major for the first time in 12 years, fared even worse, going round in 79. Jon Rahm and Scottie Scheffler ended up tied for seventh after impressive rounds, while McIlroy, who produced his best round of a difficult week to finish on seven over, back-doored his way into another US Open top 20 finish. McIlroy was already on his flight out of Pennsylvania by the time all was settled. He'd ended another peculiar post-Masters week on a real high and had stopped to speak with the media about finding his "next Everest", hopefully at the Open back home in Portrush. But at the course he left behind there was a new face reaching his own summit. Spaun's climb is unlike perhaps any other major winner. A decade ago he was on the PGA Canada Tour and made just a single cut all season, earning himself a total prize pot of $825. He first earned his PGA Tour card in 2016 only to lose it in 2020. J.J. Spaun gets his hands on the U.S. Open trophy 🏆 — Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) June 16, 2025 On Sunday he signed for his 72 and earned $4.3m in return. A Ryder Cup place is almost certainly his and plenty more besides. "It's definitely a storybook, fairytale ending, [an] underdog fighting back, not giving up, never quitting," he said. "With the rain and everything and then the putt, I mean, you couldn't write a better story. "You watch other people do it. You see the Tiger chip, you see Nick Taylor's putt, you see crazy moments. To have my own moment like that at this championship, I'll never forget this moment for the rest of my life." -With files from PA
The National
6 days ago
- Sport
- The National
Angry Rory McIlroy narrowly survives cut at US Open
McIlroy said before the tournament that he needed to shake off the hangover of his epic Masters win at Augusta National in April, but he could not have chosen a harder place to do that. The brutal Oakmont course in Pittsburgh has been chewing up and spitting out the best players in the world and McIlroy is one of them. Frustration boils over for Rory McIlroy after his approach shot on the 12th 😡 — Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) June 13, 2025 After a four-over-par 74 on Thursday, McIlroy had hopes of fighting back into contention in the second round, but he again struggled to tame the course, posting two double bogeys in the opening three holes. Such was his frustration, he launched his club in anger at the 12th hole after sending another shot into the unforgiving rough before smashing a tee marker on the 17th when finding the bunker. He produced some magic on the 18th with a stunning approach shot to five feet and converted for a birdie to reach six-under-par which keeps him around for the weekend. Whether he will be pleased about that or not is another story entirely and he will not be challenging for the title come Sunday night. See you this weekend, Rory. Our 2011 champion will make the cut at Oakmont. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 His late birdie did not quell the frustration enough for him to speak to the media as he skipped post-round duties for the sixth successive round at a major. American Ryder Cup player Sam Burns tops the leaderboard, making a mockery of everyone else's struggles with a head-scratching five-under-par 65. 'I didn't really think of much of a score before. The golf course is really too difficult to try to figure out what's a good score and what's not,' Burns said. 'You're really just shot by shot and trying to play each hole the best you can. 'There's obviously a lot of golf left on a very tough golf course. It's a 72-hole golf tournament, and if you can get a round under par out here, no matter if it's one under, you'll take it.' Burns sits one shot clear of first-round leader JJ Spaun, who carded a two-over 72 to sit on two-under-par. Spaun said: 'I knew it would be hard to back up a bogey-free four-under at Oakmont in the US Open. So I'm just glad that I kept it together. I'm two over today, but given where we are that's a pretty good score.' It is no wonder the players have been calling the terrifying Pennsylvania course Transylvania as Viktor Hovland, at one-under-par, is the only other player under par at the halfway mark of the tournament. World number one Scottie Scheffler reckons he is still in the mix, despite sitting seven shots off the lead. Scheffler, who was seen angrily remonstrating with his coach after his round, carded a 71 to sit four-over-par but is not ruling himself out. 'It felt like me getting away with one over today wasn't all that bad. It could have been a lot worse,' he said. Bryson's quest for a third U.S. Open 🏆 has come to an end in 2025. He will miss the cut at +10. — U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2025 'I'm definitely not out of the tournament. Today I think with the way I was hitting it, it was easily a day I could have been going home, but I battled pretty hard to stay in there.' There have been plenty of high-profile casualties, none more so than defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, who will go home after finishing on a bruising 10-over-par. Justin Rose, Shane Lowry, Justin Thomas, Tommy Fleetwood and Gary Woodland also get the weekend off. It could also be a farewell to the US Open for Phil Mickelson, who could not find a birdie at the final hole to make the cut. Mickelson admits he is unlikely to play this tournament again unless he can win next month's Open at Portrush or hope for a USGA exemption.
The Journal
6 days ago
- Sport
- The Journal
Angry Rory McIlroy narrowly survives cut at US Open
The 42 AN ANGRY RORY McIlroy needed a birdie on the last hole of his second round to make the cut at the US Open. McIlroy said before the tournament that he needed to shake off the hangover of his epic Masters win at Augusta National in April, but he could not have chosen a harder place to do that. The brutal Oakmont course in Pittsburgh has been chewing up and spitting out the best players in the world, and McIlroy is one of them. Frustration boils over for Rory McIlroy after his approach shot on the 12th 😡 — Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) June 13, 2025 After a four-over-par 74 on Thursday, McIlroy had hopes of fighting back into contention in the second round, but he again struggled to tame the course, posting two double bogeys in the opening three holes. Such was his frustration, he launched his club in anger at the 12th hole after sending another shot into the unforgiving rough before smashing a tee marker on the 17th when finding the bunker. He produced some magic on the 18th with a stunning approach shot to five feet and converted for a birdie to reach six-over-par, which keeps him around for the weekend. Whether he will be pleased about that or not is another story entirely, and he will not be challenging for the title come Sunday night. His late birdie did not quell the frustration enough for him to speak to the media as he skipped post-round duties for the sixth successive round at a major. Rory McIlroy makes the cut at Oakmont ✅ — Sky Sports Golf (@SkySportsGolf) June 13, 2025 There was no such luck for Shane Lowry as he finished on 17-over-par following a second-round 78. A bad day for the Offaly golfer was compounded on the 14th hole. Lowry picked up his ball on the green but forgot to mark it. Soon realising his error, Lowry put the ball back down before sharing a laugh with groupmates McIlroy and Justin Rose. Oakmont is taking its toll. Shane Lowry forgot to mark his ball on the 14th green before picking it up. — Fried Egg Golf (@fried_egg_golf) June 13, 2025 Advertisement The mistake did not have a significant impact on Lowry's fate. By then, he was already 14 over par after a nine-over 79 on Thursday. 'By then, maybe my mind was somewhere else,' he told Sky Sports. 'I still tried. I fought over every shot. That's all you can do, I suppose, on a week like this.' The 38-year-old struggled to hide his frustration on a challenging day. After missing a putt at one point, he exclaimed: 'F*ck this place, F*ck this place.' Golf is hard. Shane Lowry - 'F*ck this place, F*ck this place' - Unique opinion on Oakmont & the 2025 US Open. #USOpen2025 — Matt "Mattie 5" Bellner (@MattBellner) June 13, 2025 Meanwhile, Sam Burns matched the third-best US Open round ever fired at Oakmont, shooting a five-under par 65 to seize a one-stroke lead after Friday's second round as big names struggled. The 28-year-old American made six birdies against a lone bogey to stand on three-under 137 after 36 holes on the punishing layout. The only two US Open rounds at Oakmont lower than Burns's 65 were Johnny Miller's final-round 63 to win in 1973 and a 64 by Loren Roberts in the 1994 third round. American J.J. Spaun made bogeys on three of the last four holes to shoot 72 and stand second on 138 with Norway's Viktor Hovland third on 139 after a 68 — the top trio being the only players under par after 36 holes. Bryson DeChambeau fired a 77 to stand on 150 and miss the cut, the first defending champion to miss the US Open cut since Gary Woodland in 2020. Also missing the cut was six-time US Open runner-up Phil Mickelson, who needed a win to complete a career Grand Slam. Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler and Spain's Jon Rahm were seven adrift on 144. Scheffler fired a 71 with five bogeys and four birdies. Australian Adam Scott and American Ben Griffin shared fourth on 140. France's Victor Perez aced the par-three sixth hole from 192 yards, hitting the 54th hole-in-one in US Open history but only the second ace at a US Open at Oakmont. Perez shot 70 to stand sixth on 141. Additional reporting by AFP You can view the full leaderboard here Written by Press Association and originally published on The 42 whose award-winning team produces original content that you won't find anywhere else: on GAA, League of Ireland, women's sport and boxing, as well as our game-changing rugby coverage, all with an Irish eye. Subscribe here .
