US Open R2 - Rory McIlroy in contention: "I'll always keep coming back"

Rory McIlroy is searching for the fifth major championship of his career.

17 Jun 2023

Rory McIlroy is in a position he knows all too well after completing 36 holes at the US Open this week.

The 34-year-old has been searching for his fifth career major championship for nearly a decade now, after earning his fourth back in 2014.

That was when he claimed the PGA Championship at Valhalla in mid-August. He won the Open Championship for his third major a month prior at Royal Liverpool, which is the site of next month's 151st Open.

But McIlroy's lack of major success in the past nine years hasn't been without more than a few close calls.

Last season alone he finished inside the top-10 at all four major championships, highlighted by a runner-up finish at The Masters.

The Augusta National tournament is the only piece missing from his resume to complete the career Grand Slam.

After missing the cut at the 2023 Masters a few months ago, the Northern Irishman bounced-back with a respectable tie for seventh at last month's PGA Championship.

It kick-started a string of top-10 finishes leading into the third major of the season.

Being held at the Los Angeles Country Club in California, this week marks the 123rd US Open.

After a solid 5-under 65 on Thursday, McIlroy was just three shots off the pace set by Xander Schauffele and Rickie Fowler, who both set record 62s in the first round.

On Friday, McIlroy continued to go low, shooting a 3-under 67 for a tournament total of 8-under par after 36 holes. That leaves him just two strokes off the pace, currently set by Fowler who added a Friday 68.

"I mean, I started thinking about winning this thing when I came here on Monday. I've already done that," he told reporters. "No one wants me to win another major more than I do. The desire is obviously there."

Despite all the close calls, McIlroy says he hasn't let the failures deter him from continuing to aim for a fifth major title.

"I've been trying and I've come close over the past nine years or whatever it is, and I keep coming back," said McIlroy. "I feel like I've showed a lot of resilience in my career, a lot of ups and downs, and I keep coming back. And whether that means that I get rewarded or I get punched in the gut or whatever it is, I'll always keep coming back."

Fowler, 34, is famously seeking his first major championship after years of his own close calls. The popular American is also looking for a first win on Tour since the 2019 Phoenix Open.

"I'm in the lead, but we're only halfway there," said Fowler. "Being in the lead is nice, but it really means nothing right now.

"I'm looking forward to continuing to challenge myself and go out there and try and execute the best I can."

World No.1 Scottie Scheffler matched Fowler’s round of 68 to progress to 5-under par and lie just five strokes off the pace heading into the weekend.