Rory McIlroy targets ‘biggest career win’

• Rory McIlroy preparing for golf’s toughest test at Oakmont
• Reveals a win would ‘probably be my biggest accomplishment’
• Paired with Danny Willett and Rickie Fowler in opening rounds

Although the Green Jacket has so far proved elusive for Rory McIlroy, the Northern Irishman has an incredible list of career achievements.

However, should the four-time major winner make it No.5 at Oakmont this week, he could regard winning this US Open the biggest accomplishment of his career – given that the course set-up is considerably different from his previous four major wins.

Speaking before teeing it up on Thursday with Danny Willett and Rickie Fowler, the 27-year-old said: “I’d be very proud if I won on a course like this. The majors that I have won have been soft and under par and more suited my style of game.

“But to be able to win at Oakmont with the conditions the way they are, it would probably be my biggest accomplishment. It would make me feel like a more complete player.”

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McIlroy, who famously won the 2011 US Open just two months after his back nine collapse at the Masters, also spoke about the mental toughness of Oakmont and how he needs to maintain full focus in all of his time on the course.

“You know you’re going to be put under a lot of pressure on basically every single golf shot you hit out there,” added Rory McIlroy. “So you have to be prepared for that. You have to be prepared for how mentally demanding it’s going to be, how much concentration you’re going to need out there.

“I think that for the guys who are going to play Congressional next week, they’re going to need a couple days off in between this and going there. It’s going to be quite the mental grind. You expect that coming into a US Open. It’s the toughest test in golf, and you know that, and you have to do everything you can to prepare for that and try to do your best.”

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Rory McIlroy :: How will he fare?

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