Rory McIlroy raises major concern as he tests multiple drivers ahead of U.S. Open

Rory McIlroy has rung major alarm bells ahead of golf's third major of the season by declaring he is "concerned" about the state of his game.

McIlroy, 36, may have won three times so far this season, highlighted by completing the career grand slam at The Masters in April, but the wheels appear to have well and truly fallen off for the World No.2 heading into the U.S. Open from 12-15 June. 

The Northern Irishman shockingly missed the cut on 9-over par at the RBC Canadian Open with rounds of 71 and 78 this week. 

For the first time in 12 years on the PGA Tour, McIlroy lost a whopping eight strokes to the field in a round. 

It also marked McIlroy's first missed cut on Tour since the 152nd Open in July 2024. 

That was the last time we saw Tiger Woods - who also missed the cut at Royal Troon - compete on Tour. 

McIlroy started the week as a red-hot tournament favourite.

He ended the week fifth bottom of the leaderboard. 

Prior to McIlroy's missed cut in Canada, he slumped to a T47 finish at the PGA Championship last month. 

That was a week that saw McIlroy decide to shun the media all four tournament days after driver controversy at Quail Hollow Club.

McIlroy revealed he was "p****d" after two media members had leaked what he deemed to be personal information. 

Last week McIlroy caused further controversy when he rejected an invite to compete in Jack Nicklaus' Memorial Tournament for the first time since 2017.

It was a decision that "surprised" Nicklaus, who also claimed McIlroy had not even bothered to contact him. 

McIlroy went back to his Qi35 Driver, a club he used at Bay Hill in March before reverting back to the Qi10 Driver (which failed a USGA CT test at the PGA), at the RBC Canadian Open. 

The Qi35 is considered by us here at GolfMagic as one of the best golf drivers this season. 

McIlroy also went down to a shorter 44-inch driver in a bid to try and find some control off the tee. 

But neither option seemed to work.

McIlroy has now been testing multiple drivers this weekend in preparation for the U.S. Open. 

The TaylorMade staff player found just 13 of 28 fairways (46%) en route to missing the cut at TPC Toronto. 

Only four of those fairways were found on Friday. 

McIlroy lost more than two strokes to the field off the tee over the two days in Ontario. 

Unthinkable statistics for a player who is regarded as one of the best drivers in the world. 

After a second consecutive lacklustre appearance on Tour, McIlroy admitted his overall game is simply not where he wants it heading to Oakmont for the U.S. Open. 

McIlroy got an early sight at Oakmont on Monday and admitted it will be a "brutal test" where anything around level par might win the title. 

The deep rough will place a further premium on accurate driving, and McIlroy knows it. 

"Yeah, of course it concerns me," McIlroy said of the state of his game after his MC in Canada. 

"You don't want to shoot high scores like the one I did today. 

"Still I felt like I came here obviously with a new driver thinking that that sort of was going to be good and solve some of the problems off the tee, but it didn't.

"Obviously going to Oakmont next week, what you need to do more than anything else there is hit fairways. 

"Still sort of searching for the sort of missing piece off the tee. 

"Obviously for me, when I get that part of the game clicking, then everything falls into place for me. 

"Right now that isn't. Yeah, that's a concern going into next week."

McIlroy then spoke specifically about his driver concerns heading into the U.S. Open. 

"I went -- so I went back to a 44-inch driver this week to try to get something that was a little more in control and could try to get something a bit more in play," he added. 

"But if I'm going to miss fairways, I'd rather have the ball speed and miss the fairway than not.

"I was saying to Harry [Diamond, caddie] going down the last this is the second time this year I've tried the new version, and it hasn't quite worked out for me.

"So I'd say I'll be testing quite a few drivers over the weekend."

McIlroy's odds have dropped from 6/1 to 10/1 as a result of his indifferent form the past two events. 

It remains to be seen which driver McIlroy decides to put in the bag at the U.S. Open. 

And indeed what TaylorMade HQ make of McIlroy's latest comments about the Qi35. 

GolfMagic will have all the information once available.