US Open's tiny margins for error bring out McIlroy's fire

BROOKLINE: Rory McIlroy says the fine line between success and failure on every shot at the US Open triggers the passion behind the club-tossing emotional outbursts that marked his first round performance on Thursday (Jun 16).

The four-time major champion from Northern Ireland hurled his club in the 18th fairway and swung another club into the sand of a greenside bunker twice at the fifth hole at The Country Club on his way to a three-under-par 67 opening round.

Third-ranked McIlroy, who hasn't won a major title since 2014, says it's fine to bring out a fiery reaction when things don't go as intended, especially given the dense rough and lightning-fast greens that are US Open trademarks.

"Almost to remind yourself sometimes how much it means to you as well," McIlroy said. "The margins are just so fine in this tournament and I think you can sort of see that out there with some of the reactions.

"Some of these reactions that maybe you saw out there today, whether it be hitting the sand on five or the club throw on nine, you just have to be so precise and so exact at this golf tournament maybe compared to some others that any little thing that doesn't quite go right, you're sort of putting yourself behind the 8-ball."

McIlroy, 33, won his only US Open title in 2011 for his first major crown on a rain-soaked Congressional Country Club layout in the wake of a last-round Masters meltdown.

His best showing at a US Open since then was sharing seventh last year, the epic challenge testing his resolve and grit as much as his shotmaking skill.

"You're going to encounter things at a US Open, whether they be lies or stuff like that, that you just don't really encounter any other week. It's hard not to get frustrated," McIlroy said.

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