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‘His Eyes Weren’t Alive’ – Paul McGinley Very Worried for Rory McIlroy After ‘Low Energy’ Press US Open Conference 4w6z

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Sushan Chakraborty
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Sushan Chakraborty Sports Editor

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Published12 Jun 2025

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Renowned Irish golfer Paul McGinley has expressed concern after seeing 2025 Masters winner Rory McIlroy’s US Open press conference. 

McGinley, who has won four events on the European tour, suspects the Northern Ireland star does not have the drive to win Major tournaments anymore.

McIlroy, one of the favourites to win in Oakmont, is eyeing his second US Open title this week. His first one came at the Congressional Country Club in June 2011.

Rory McIlroy Says He Has ‘No Idea’ About the Next Phase of Career 25sl

Rory McIlroy reigned supreme at the August Masters in April, earning his green jacket after a decade-long wait. The Masters victory was significant in the grand scheme of things as well, as it saw McIlroy complete his career grand slam. He became only the sixth golfer in history to secure the Grand Slam.

Since achieving the career milestone, McIlroy has not been at the top of his game. At the press conference of the 125th US Open, the 36-year-old itted feeling a bit lost.

“You dream about the final putt going in at the Masters, but you don’t think about what comes next,” McIlroy said Tuesday at Oakmont (via PGA Tour).

When asked about the next phase of his career, he added:

“I have no idea. I’m sort of just taking it tournament by tournament at this point.”

Paul McGinley Very Worried for Rory McIlroy Ahead of US Open in Oakmont 154m72

Rory McIlroy’s honest acknowledgement has understandably gotten a lot of traction. However, Paul McGinley is more worried about the energy he brought into the room.

On Golf Channel’s “Live From” show, McGinley said (via Irish Independent):

“His eyes weren’t alive. The energy was not there.

“He certainly didn’t have the pointy elbows the way we saw coming into the Masters. 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.”

He continued:

“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 concluded his assessment, adding:

“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.

“But 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 a big loss or something that went wrong.”

McIlroy got a reality check at the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow. He tied for 47th and was never in the running after hitting a 74 in the first round.

McIlroy’s US Open campaign at Oakmont gets underway at 12:40 UK time on Thursday, June 12.