Rory McIlroy stayed behind the ropes long after his practice round ended Thursday. The PGA Tour counted exactly how many fans he signed for, and the number tells its own story.

The PGA Tour posted on X on June 18 that McIlroy signed autographs for 105 fans following his practice round at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, ahead of the U.S. Open.

"Rory McIlroy signed for 105 fans after his round today (yes, we counted)," the post read.

This was very different from what McIlroy faced at last year's Ryder Cup. Fans at Bethpage Black shouted insults at him, and the situation got a lot of attention after he was seen telling one fan to stop and making a rude gesture toward another fan the day before. 

McIlroy addressed the difference directly when speaking to reporters on Tuesday, June 16, two days before the Open began. "Look, I love playing around New York. I love playing in this area. It's got some of the best golf in the world," he said. "This is different, like the Ryder Cup is us versus them, very partisan; it's just a different beast. Was it a rough week for me at times? Absolutely. But it is what it is."

He described his approach to dealing with that kind of attention. "If that's a price to pay to live the life that I'm living, then I'm okay with that," McIlroy said.

This week has played out differently. Fans at Shinnecock have cheered his name from the tee boxes throughout practice rounds.

"New York is New York, and they're going to make their voices heard, but that's a good thing," McIlroy said. "That's a good atmosphere to play in."

McIlroy heads into the championship with his own history at Shinnecock Hills and the U.S. Open at large.

Rory McIlroy Returns to Shinnecock Hills Looking for His Second U.S. Open Title

McIlroy won his last U.S. Open in 2011 at Congressional. He finished at 16-under par and won by eight shots over Jason Day. But when the U.S. Open was last held at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in 2018, he missed the cut after shooting 10-over 80 in the first round and even par 70 in the second.

He came close to winning again at Los Angeles Country Club in 2023 and Pinehurst No. 2 in 2024, but fell just short. Earlier this year, he successfully defended his Masters' title and became only the fourth player in tournament history to win back-to-back titles at the major.

McIlroy described how his approach to majors has changed. "I definitely feel like I've become a lot better at a U.S. Open player by trying to really stay patient throughout the week and not taking on too much," he said.

He called the championship a complete examination of the game. "I think it tests all aspects of the game: driving, iron play, you need to have your wits about you on the greens," McIlroy said. "It's a lot of strategy, thoughtfulness."

Do you think Rory McIlroy can win his second U.S. Open title this week at Shinnecock Hills? Let us know in the comments.

Read more at Club Golf!

Written by

Sneha Abraham

Edited by

Ankita Yadav