Heading into the 2025 U.S. Open at Oakmont, Rory McIlroy is among the betting favorites. But according to comments from TV analyst Paul McGinley, it might not be wise to place a wager on McIlroy this week.
McGinley, in an appearance on Golf Channel’s “Live From” show ahead of the tournament, raised the alarm that a “low energy” McIlroy doesn’t look prepared to win this U.S. Open.
McGinley pans McIlroy’s U.S. Open preparedness
McGinley, an Irish golf legend in his own right, has known McIlroy throughout his career. He even captained Rory and the European team to victory at the 2014 Ryder Cup.
But he’s also not afraid to offer his unvarnished opinions on the five-time major champion when he feels it’s warranted. Such was the case after the first round of the 2025 Masters.
On “Live From” this week, McGinley said that McIlroy’s demeanor at Oakmont has him worried.
“It was very worrying looking at his press conference there,” McGinley said on Golf Channel. “His eyes weren’t alive. The energy was not there.”
The analyst contrasted McIlroy’s tone at Oakmont with his attitude at Augusta in April, saying that McIlroy seems checked out this week.
“He certainly didn’t have the pointy elbows the way we saw coming into the Masters,” McGinley said. “He was a man on a mission, he was a man on a bounce, he was a man out to prove something. ‘Get out of my way, here I come. I’ve got something to accomplish.’ You could see that and feel the energy. You don’t see it at the moment. I know from my own experience, when you win tournaments, you check out. You don’t feel the same. You want to be there and you put in the energy but something inside you is just missing.”
McGinley’s primary argument is that after completing his lifelong goal of winning the Masters and completing the career Grand Slam, McIlroy has lost motivation.
“I’m no psychologist but it looks like the air has been sucked out of him a little since [winning the Masters], not just in the way he’s played but in his press conferences,” McGinley said. “It’s very un-Rory-like in his press conferences to have such low energy. There will be a reset at some stage and it doesn’t look like it’ll come this week. His team are saying he’s playing okay.”
McGinley completed his thought by contending that the McIlroy we’re seeing so far this week at Oakmont is not the same player who won three big-time tournaments already this season.
“This is not normal Rory. This is not when he’s at his best in my opinion. I think he’s at his best when he’s p—-d off and he’s out to prove something following off a big loss or something that went wrong.”
McGinley identifies 1 U.S. Open hope for Rory
Back at the Masters, McGinley criticized McIlroy following his opening-round collapse.
After McIlroy made two late double bogeys in the first round at Augusta this year, McGinley said, “For a player who likes to play quickly, it was a drop in concentration. And that is what great champions don’t do.”
Still, McIlroy went on to capture his first green jacket that week.
And McGinley is well aware that the same could happen this week. Later in his “Live From” appearance, McGinley said that no one can flip a switch and re-focus faster than McIlroy.
“However, of the one player that you think can ignite quicker than anybody else in terms of confidence. Rory goes from first gear to fifth gear in terms of confidence quicker than anybody else,” McGinley said. “So it can ignite quickly.”
That should provide a touch of comfort to those fans who have action on McIlory this week.
As of the writing, McIlroy was two under through his first four holes in the first round.
