Eight years ago, Rory McIlroy stood at the Travelers Championship after being cut from the 2018 U.S. Open and felt something that bothered him. Comfort. The kind of comfort that was supposed to show up during a major, not the week after one.

McIlroy shot a 69 in the first round of the 2026 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills on Thursday, June 18. It was 11 shots better than his 2018 opening round. He finished just one shot behind the leader on a windy day. After the round, he reflected on the difference, per an X post by the PGA Tour.

"I played those two days in 2018, and then I got to the Travelers (Championship) the next week; I remember like feeling so much in my comfort zone going to TPC River Highlands and thinking to myself, I've got this backwards. I should be in my comfort zone at Shinnecock and not here."

McIlroy shot an 80 in 2018—matching his worst major score, also recorded at the 2010 Open Championship and 2011 Masters. He finished the round at 10-over par, 11 shots behind the clubhouse leader at 1-under par.

Flying home from Dubai at the end of 2018, he wrote it down. He refused to let the losses keep him down, as he vowed to be better prepared for major tournaments.

"I would keep, like, a journal or a diary. I wrote in it that from 2019 going forward, I'm going to build my game to compete at the major championships and excel at the toughest tests that we have," McIlroy said.

He overhauled his game—ball flight, distance control, wedge play, short game, putting—each a deliberate fix for the major championships.

Since missing the cut in 2018, McIlroy has finished in the top 20 at every U.S. Open, with two second-place finishes. He had won the U.S. Open back in 2011 before his 2018 collapse. He hopes to repeat that result this year.

Rory McIlroy's turnaround in action

McIlroy started his round on the back nine, beginning at the 10th hole.

He made a birdie, a par, and an eagle over holes 3, 4, and 5 on the front nine, reaching 3-under par and taking the lead—until bogeys on the final two holes stung the finish, at 1-under 69.

"Overall, a really good day," McIlroy said, per the AP. "Obviously, it stings a little bit to finish the way that I did."

The conditions were very tough. Play was delayed for two hours on Thursday morning because of fog, and strong winds continued throughout the afternoon.

The wind was so strong that McIlroy's hat blew off several times. He now uses a low, controlled tee shot that works well in windy conditions, a shot he did not have in 2018 when he relied mostly on power.

Do you think McIlroy's major championship turnaround is the most impressive of his career? Drop your thoughts in the comments.

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Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Surjo Ray