Rory McIlroy said he still believes he can contend for the 2026 U.S. Open title after a difficult second round.
McIlroy's current position puts him in a precarious spot as he attempts to navigate one of golf's most challenging courses. His ability to recover from a significant deficit will determine if he can remain a factor in the tournament as it moves into the weekend.
Playing at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, McIlroy shot a 69, which was one under par [3]. While he described his start to the round as strong, he noted that the back-nine proved challenging. The struggle on the final nine holes left him seven shots behind the leader [1].
Despite the gap, McIlroy said he is not discounting his chances. He pointed to the history of the tournament and the specific venue to justify his optimism. He said that Brooks Koepka was five shots behind after two rounds during the 2018 U.S. Open at Shinnecock [2] and still managed to compete.
McIlroy's perspective is framed by the difficulty of the course. Data shows that across the four modern U.S. Opens held at Shinnecock, 624 players have competed [4]. The volatility of the course often allows for dramatic shifts in the leaderboard, which McIlroy believes works in his favor.
He said he is focused on finding his comfort zone as the competition progresses. By focusing on his mindset and previous examples of players overcoming deficits, he aims to close the seven-shot gap [1].
“Rory McIlroy said he still believes he can contend for the 2026 U.S. Open title”
McIlroy's optimism relies on the historical volatility of Shinnecock Hills, where high scoring and sudden collapses are common. While a seven-shot deficit is substantial, the precedent set by previous champions at this venue suggests that the leaderboard can shift rapidly, making his pursuit mathematically possible if the leaders struggle on the back-nine.
