Rory McIlroy admitted Shinnecock Hills “won the battle” after his 2026 U.S. Open challenge faded with a final-round 73 in Southampton, New York.
The Northern Irishman finished the championship on six over par after a frustrating weekend at the Long Island venue, where a damaging back nine on Saturday effectively ended his hopes of mounting a Sunday charge.
McIlroy had worked himself to two under for the tournament after nine holes in round three, only for the round to unravel before he returned on Sunday and bogeyed three of his first five holes. He later said the course had beaten him “at this point”, according to a fresh update from Sky Sports.
McIlroy now turns toward links season
The result was a sharp comedown for McIlroy after arriving in New York with major momentum and another chance to add to his U.S. Open story. Instead, Shinnecock’s firm, exposed test left him chasing damage limitation by the closing stretch.
For McIlroy, the immediate value now lies in the calendar. He indicated that links preparation is next, with The Open coming into view and the chance to reset on the type of golf he has long described as his favourite part of the year.
That makes this less a crisis than a bruising handover: Shinnecock took the week, but McIlroy’s summer still has a major stage left.
