Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s No. 2 course showed its limits on Day 3 of the U.S. Open, and Rory McIlroy relished the test.
The Northern Irishman was one of seven players to break the 70 mark on Saturday, a day McIlroy's Ryder Cup team-mate Shane Lowry described as “absolute mental torture”.
McIlroy saw it differently, saying he “loves” the challenge and would enjoy it even more if he wins his fifth major title on Sunday.
The 35-year-old will finish three shots behind Bryson DeChambeau as he looks to end a nearly decade-long wait for major championship glory and is looking forward to the test that lies ahead.
“I like the challenge that Pinehurst offers, where you have to focus on every shot,” he said.
“That's what the U.S. Open should be like. It's obviously great to be a part of it.”
“I think I accept the questions that the golf course throws at you. I think there are some holes you have to be aggressive. There are some holes you have to be conservative.
“There are some holes where you can attack and hit it around. There are some holes where you have to stay away.”
“It tests your chipping. It tests your putting. It tests your mental endurance more than any other golf tournament, obviously.
Shot 69 in the third round, currently tied for second place💪#USOpen pic.twitter.com/HrCQECmpzh
— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) June 15, 2024
“As I said at the beginning of the week, this is a style of golf that I have begun to try and embrace over the past few years and is the reason why my performances at the U.S. Open have improved dramatically over the past five years.”
Another player who shot a 4-under 69 was Matthieu Pavon, who will play in the final group with DeChambeau.
It will be a big day for the Frenchman, who has only won his first DP World Tour and PGA Tour titles in the past nine months, but he is taking it in stride.
“It's just golf,” he said. “At the end of the day, it's me versus the golf course. Even more so in the majors, every time I play, my only goal is to try to beat the golf course.”
“It's tough out here. The only thing I'm focused on is that goal and that's what I'm going to do tomorrow.”
