Rory ‘getting there’ ahead of US Open

Rory McIlroy insists his current “slump” is nothing compared to last year’s early season struggles and reckons his game is close to clicking into place in time to challenge for a third Major win in next week’s US Open at Merion.

But even if it takes longer than that and his 2013 frustration continues for another while, he’s licking his lips at the prospect of defending his US PGA title at Oak Hill after playing the New York course on Monday.

That wasn’t just because he loved the classic, tree-lined track but because he played so well, cruising to a three under 67 that included holing out from 50 yards for an eagle two at the 323-yard 14th.

“Today it was all right,” McIlroy joked, when asked about the state of his game.

“It’s been a little bit of a frustrating year. It seems like every time I’ve got a bit of momentum, I take two steps forward and then take one step back. But I’m getting there.”

While he’s putting poorly, McIlroy sees no real comparison between this season and last year when he missed his fourth cut from five starts in the US Open at Olympic Club and did not snap out of his lethargy until the week before the US PGA at Kiawah Island.

“This is different,” McIlroy said. “I’m actually playing much better. I’m in a better place with my golf swing and my game. I wasn’t showing any real signs of promise for a couple of months last year, where this year, there are signs.

“I’m definitely not too far away, whereas last year at this point, I feel like I didn’t know if I would ever play good again. But it’s just the way golf is.

“I’m feeling pretty good about my game, and I think when this all clicks into place one week, I should be off and running.”

That’s what happened last year, when a fifth place finish in the Bridgestone Invitational in Akron lit the touch paper. A week later he was unstoppable at Kiawah Island, where he broke the record for largest margin of victory in the US PGA.

A 72nd hole birdie giving him his second eight-stroke Major win, breaking the tournament record set by Jack Nicklaus in 1980, at Oak Hill.

“I love golf courses like this, big, mature trees, tree-lined fairways,” McIlroy said. “It’s a typical, old style golf course, but it’s still... timeless. It was obviously a fantastic golf course 50, 60 years ago, and it’s a fantastic golf course now.”

Still ranked second in the world, McIlroy looks like a shadow of the player who won five times last year en route to Player of the Year honours on both the PGA Tour and the European Tour Winless in 11 starts since he signed that mega deal with Nike, he’s missed two cuts, walked off the course after just a round and a half in his Honda Classic defence and contended just twice.

He refused to blame his club switch, insisting: “The ball striking has not really been an issue this year. I’ve actually hit the ball pretty well from tee to green, and I’ve given myself a lot of opportunities.

“If I keep hitting the ball the way I know I can and hole putts, I’ll hopefully be in the winner’s circle.”

Next week’s US Open looks to have come to soon but McIlroy is not ruling himself out at Merion, where he began a two-day visit yesterday.

He said: “I’m hoping that my sort of trend in the US Open continues, because I’ve gone missed cut, win, missed cut, so hopefully I can win again.”