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Rory McIlroy smashes tee marker at US Open after drive lands in bunker

ns_headshot_2024-clearby:Nick Schultz•06/13/25•

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Rory McIlroy
Peter Casey | Imagn Images

A frustrating day for Rory McIlroy at the U.S. Open continued on the 17th hole at Oakmont Country Club. He found the bunker – and a nearby tee marker wound up in the crosshairs.

McIlroy slammed his driver down on the marker after his tee shot wound up in the sand to the right of the green. It was the latest bad break for the reigning Masters champion, who was 3-over on the day and 7-over on the tournament heading into the 17th. He ultimately birdied the 18th hole to finish 6-over and barely make the cut.

It looked like Oakmont would present a challenge to the players at this year’s U.S. Open, and that proved true. Leader Sam Burns is one of three golfers under par after the second round, sitting at 3-under.

Burns finished the second round one shot better than J.J. Spaun, who sits at 2-under one day after recording a bogey-free round. Viktor Hovland is in third place at 1-under – and the only other player below par after two days. Adam Scott and Benjamin Griffin sit tied for fourth at even par.

Oakmont living up to billing at US Open

The thick rough and fast greens made for quite the first two rounds of the 2025 U.S. Open. Players made their thoughts clear on the way things were going, and Rory McIlroy was just the latest to do so. Bryson DeChambeau also had a rough go through the first two rounds and ended up missing the cut as he shot 10-over, including 7-over on Friday.

“This golf course can come up and get you pretty quick, and you’ve just got to be on your game,” DeChambeau said after Thursday’s opening round, via ESPN’s Mark Schlabach. “And it got me, and I wasn’t fully on my game, so pretty disappointed with how I played. It’s not too far off, you know. Just got to get the putting a little bit more dialed, and I’ll be right there, because 3 over could have easily been 2 under today.”

DeChambeau added he wasn’t trying to do much different than he had throughout this year while taking on the challenge of Oakmont. But some shots didn’t go his way and he pointed out some decisions that didn’t work out.

“There’s really not much I’m trying to do,” DeChambeau said. “I’m trying to kind of like a semi-half flop, and it came out like a jumper, and just shot and knuckled right. And I’m like, ‘Well, horrible decision, but life goes on.'”