McIlroy’s woeful form no automatic barrier to US Open elation

Rory McIlroy clings onto 5/1 favouritism ahead of the US Open at Chambers Bay in just over two weeks time, despite erratic form contributing to consecutive missed cuts for the world number one.

Northern Ireland’s finest followed up a 78 in the second round of the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth, meaning he didn’t make it to Saturday, with an 80 on Thursday in the Irish Open at Royal County Down, which he never quite recovered from.

That was McIlroy’s third missed-cut in his home event in a row though, and victory in last season’s BMW was the first time the 26-year-old made the weekend at Wentworth in three years.

He hasn’t really produced in the US Open since winning it in 2011, getting cut 12 months later and languishing outside the top 20 in 2013 and 2014, but McIlroy has improved his position in each of the past two renewals, finishing T23 last June at Pinehurst.

There’s very little to go on ahead of this year’s second Major, as Chambers Bay has only been in existence for eight years, and the Washington state links course will host a senior PGA event for the first time.

Considering McIlroy hasn’t finished outside the top 11 in America since his first PGA Tour showing of the campaign, winning twice in three tournaments following his fourth in April’s Masters, 5/1 still looks about right.

Furthermore, woeful form is no automatic barrier to US Open success, as Webb Simpson and Steve Jones have proved over the past couple of decades.

Jones took the prize in 1996 despite missing the cut in four of his previous six outings, including the two immediately prior to his triumph at Oakland Hills.

Simpson did the same at Olympic Club three years ago, seeing off former winner Graeme McDowell and Arizona’s Michael Thompson by a stroke to claim the trophy, having failed to make consecutive weekends at the Players Championship and the Memorial shortly before his success in San Francisco.

All Odds and Markets are correct as of the date of publishing.

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