The Loop

Rory McIlroy takes a much-needed break before U.S. Open

June 03, 2015

(This story originally appeared in this week's issue of Golf World.)

Where does Rory McIlroy go from here?

The simple answer is Chambers Bay for the U.S. Open. Still, the next two weeks will be more difficult as McIlroy sorts out some performance issues.

Rory missed the cut at the Irish Open after his second-round 71 couldn't offset an opening 80 on a rainy, windswept Royal County Down. I asked him how he could shoot 21 under (with a third-round 61) to win the Wells Fargo Championship for his seventh victory in 12 months and then follow that with missed cuts at the BMW PGA Championship and Irish Open, where he was serving as the tournament host.

The World No. 1 said the weather at the Wells Fargo in Charlotte had been perfect, and the course played soft. "That's my game," McIlroy said, conceding an ambivalence for links golf. "That's what I do best."