Rory McIlroy Says He Shot 81 in U.S. Open Practice Round, Oakmont 'Felt Impossible'

Rory McIlroy, a five-time major winner and this year's Masters champion, told reporters he shot an 81 (11-over) during a U.S. Open practice round last Monday at Oakmont Country Club, according to Sports Illustrated.

"Last Monday felt impossible. I birdied the last two holes for 81,” McIlroy said. "It felt pretty good. It didn’t feel like I played that bad.

"It’s much more benign right now than it was that Monday. They had the pins in dicey locations, and greens were running at 15½ [on the Stimpmeter]. It was nearly impossible.

"This morning it was a little softer. The pins aren’t going to be on three or four percent slopes all the time. If you put it in the fairway, it’s certainly playable. But then you just have to think about leaving your ball below the hole and just trying to make as many pars as you can. You get yourself in the way of a few birdies, that’s a bonus."

The Masters winner enters the U.S. Open having shot nine-over en route to a missed cut at the Canadian Open last week. He didn't particularly fare well at the PGA Championship either, shooting three-over to finish T-47.

McIlroy, of course, is capable of far better play. The problem is that Oakmont isn't a great place for a golfer experiencing poor form to make things right.

Simply put, Oakmont is a brutal challenge.

This is the 10th time that the U.S. Open will be held there, including the third since 2007.

Only four players finished under par when the U.S Open was held there in 2016, and only one player (the winner, Dustin Johnson, at four under) finished better than one-under par.

And in 2007, Angel Cabrera won with a score of five over. Jim Furyk and Tiger Woods finished tied for second at six over.

That gives you an idea of how rough the course has been, but so can reigning U.S. Open champion Bryson DeChambeau's recent run-through. He shot even-par during a practice round but really grinded along the way, calling it the "world's hardest golf course."

Among other issues, the fairways demand extreme precision, and shots that find the rough could turn into nightmares. Some competitors will find themselves living on the sand this week as well, perhaps in the infamous church pew bunkers.

The tournament tees off Thursday at 6:45 a.m. ET from Oakmont, Pennsylvania.