US Open 2026: Rory McIlroy targets patience at Shinnecock Hills but can he find winning strategy for more major glory?

Rory McIlroy returns to Shinnecock Hills as a more mature and consistent US Open player than he was the last time the iconic course hosted a major, with the world No 2 backing patience as he targets further success.

This year's edition marks the 15th anniversary of McIlroy's wire-to-wire win at Congressional Golf Club, his maiden major title, although that dominant victory was an anomaly in an inconsistent start to his US Open career.

McIlroy only posted one top-10 finish in his following seven US Open appearances, a backdoor tied-ninth after a strong final round in 2015, while an opening-round 80 when it was last held here in 2018 led to a third missed cut in as many years.

It has been a different story since for McIlroy, who has two runner-up finishes and six top-10s during the following seven US Open appearances, with the world No 2 aware of the strategy required to tackle a challenging set-up this week.