Rory McIlroy has said Shinnecock Hills Golf Club has the chance to be the best test in championship golf if it is set up correctly.

The Northern Irishman has said he feels that he has a successful strategy for winning the US Open, but insists the key factor will be patience as the players wait to see how Shinnecock Hills will play, with testing weather conditions expected.

Regardless of the length of the rough, the condition of the greens, and the howling winds, Rory McIlroy is relishing the challenge as he hunts for his second major of the year.

Rory McIlroy
Rory McIlroy. Pic: Warren Little/Getty Images

‘If everything is going the way everyone wants it in terms of weather and set-up, I think it’s the best championship test in the country,’ he said. ‘It tests all aspects of the game: driving, iron play, you need to have your wits about you on the greens. It’s a lot of strategy, thoughtfulness.’

‘This course demands so much patience – it can really lure you into taking on things that you probably shouldn’t. If you can get your ball to the middle of the greens and just putt to the corners wherever the flags are, that’s never a bad strategy.’

McIlroy missed the cut in the last event held at Shinnecock Hills but has since recorded six top-10 US Open finishes, including consecutive runner-up finishes in 2023 and 2024.

Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland reacts after finishing the 18th hole during the final round of the 124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst Resort on June 16, 2024 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Pic: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Rory McIlroy reacts after finishing the final round of the 124th U.S. Open, 2024. Pic: Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images

‘The strategy I’ve employed at the US Open over the past few years has been a lot like that, and that’s served me well,’ said the world number two.

‘It hasn’t got me the trophy, but it’s got me pretty close a few years. I definitely feel I’ve become a lot better of a US Open player by trying to really stay patient throughout the week and not taking on too much.’

This year’s edition of the US Open marks the 15th anniversary of Rory McIlroy’s eight-shot win at Congressional Golf Club to win the first major of his career. The now six-time major winner gets his round underway at 12:52 pm Irish time on Thursday, starting from hole 10, and 6:47 pm Irish time on Friday evening, starting from the first hole.