Rory McIlroy said he feels “limited” off the tee after finishing tied for 12th at the Memorial Tournament, giving himself just over a week to sharpen his driving before the US Open at Shinnecock Hills on June 18.

The six-time major champion posted four under par at Muirfield Village Golf Club in Dublin, Ohio, where J.T. Poston won at 12-under. McIlroy hit just 30 of 56 fairways across the four rounds, which explained some of his frustration after an otherwise solid week.

“It was sort of like two steps forward, one step back,” McIlroy said when asked to assess the week.

“Off the tee still wasn’t where I want it to be. I feel limited at the minute. Thankfully the fairways at Shinnecock are a little wider than they are here.

“I need to work on how I’m hitting it off the tee. But everything else, putting felt pretty good for the most part and my iron play and wedges were pretty nice.”

McIlroy’s Driving Accuracy in 2026

McIlroy has dealt with driving accuracy issues this season. During the Masters earlier this year, McIlroy ranked 90th out of 91 players in driving accuracy through 36 holes, hitting just 13 of 28 fairways, yet still led the tournament at 12-under after two rounds. That performance showed he can score while spraying the driver, but it also raised questions about whether the pattern would cost him at a tighter US Open setup.

Shinnecock Hills, the par-70 William Flynn design in Southampton, New York, will host the US Open for the sixth time across three centuries. The USGA’s 2026 setup is reportedly the first to be played without modifications to Flynn’s 1931 design, according to Golf Course Architecture, with USGA chief championships officer John Bodenhamer saying the fairways are “exactly the same as they were in 1931.”

McIlroy’s own assessment suggests the wider corridors at Shinnecock could ease the pressure he felt at Muirfield Village, where tight tree-lined fairways penalised wayward tee shots. At a links-style course stretching 7,434 yards, accuracy off the tee still matters, but the visual openness could suit a player who thrives with room to swing aggressively.

Prep Window

McIlroy flew back to the UK on Sunday night and plans to return to the United States at the weekend, heading straight for Long Island. That leaves a narrow window to address the one area he has flagged.

“I’ll just try to keep getting a little bit better each and every day heading into Shinnecock,” he said.

“Overall, not a bad week, got some good stuff out of it, and I’ve got a week to prep and get ready for Shinnecock.”

The rest of his game appears to be in working order. His irons, wedges, and putter all drew positive self-assessment, and his tied-12th finish at the Memorial came alongside Ryder Cup teammate Justin Rose and world number one Scottie Scheffler, who was listed at T4 on the PGA TOUR leaderboard at 10-under.

The driver has long been one of McIlroy’s biggest advantages in major championships. When it works, he has the length and ball speed to take on most setups. When it doesn’t, he finds himself, by his own word, limited. The next ten days will show how close he is to fixing it before Shinnecock Hills.