How will Rory McIlroy respond after a career worst tournament?

Rory McIlroy (TourProGolfClubs, Wikimedia Commons)

So far in 2025, we have seen the absolute best from World Number two Rory McIlroy of Holywood, Northern Ireland. He has won three times with his victories coming at Pebble Beach, the Players Championship and the Masters.

Heading into Toronto this week, McIlroy was the heavy favourite to win his third RBC Canadian Open at (+450). He was one of the golfers I liked the most because of his 2025 success, and because he has won the Canadian Open twice. The first time in 2019, and the second time in 2022.

Over the last 48 hours, we saw the absolute worst of McIlroy. He possibly had the most disastrous round of golf he has ever had on the PGA Tour. McIlroy was not just bad, he was horrendously awful at the north course of the TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley on Friday. McIlroy shot a round of 78, and finished 36 holes at +9. Of the 153 golfers in the tournament, McIlroy is 149th. McIlroy completed his round 21 strokes back of the leader, American Cameron Champ of Sacramento, California, who is in first place at -12. McIlroy even came nowhere close to making the cut. He was 12 strokes back of the cutline at -3.

Where did McIlroy’s round fall apart? The answer was on the fifth hole, where he had a quadruple bogey. You simply never see McIlroy post a score of eight on a par four. McIlroy then double bogeyed the 11th hole.

Now the real question is how will McIlroy respond at the United States Open which starts Thursday. The third major of the year is only six days away, and McIlroy does not have the physical or mental fortitude to be competitive. If he cannot make the cut at the Canadian Open, there is zero chance he will contend for his sixth career major title at Oakmont. What do you think?

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