Rory McIlroy: Golfer is back to winning ways and just in time too...
- Published
Rory McIlroy won the Canadian Open on Sunday and was presented with a Toronto Raptors jersey, who are the nation's only NBA team.
Northern Irish golfer Rory McIlroy is back to winning ways after winning the Canadian Open on Sunday.
His fans will be delighted as he has rediscovered his great form just a few days before the start of the third major championship of the year - the US Open.
"To get a win going into next week is huge", Rory told journalists afterwards.
So Rory is ready, but are you?
To get ourselves pumped for this exciting tournament, which starts in California on Thursday, we thought we would take a closer look at golf, Rory's career so far, and who he could come up against this week.
What is the US Open?
The US Open is one of the four men's major tournaments in golf.
It will take place this year at Pebble Beach Golf Links in California and lasts four days - as long as there are no weather delays.
It is tradition that the final round is played on Father's Day - which is on Sunday 16 June.
The prize money is one of the biggest in golf, with the top players sharing a whopping $12.5 million - that's about £9.85 million!
How do you win a major golf tournament?
The winner of a golf tournament is the player who has completed the 18-hole round in the lowest number of strokes - from "tee off" on hole one, to putting the ball in the 18th.
Each hole is given a score based on the number of shots it is suggested you take.
For example, if a hole should take you five strokes, it is called a "Par 5", but if you are able to putt the ball in fewer shots, you are "under par" and heading for a great round!
However, if you take more strokes than the par rating on a hole, then you are "over par".
The winner is the person who has the lowest combined number of shots across the 18-hole course.
BOGEY!
No we aren't playing that game...
You might hear some funny words in golf - and they are all to do with scoring.
For example, under par scores are named after birds, and over par scores are called "bogeys"!
Having a good round and have managed to shoot a "par 5" hole in just two strokes? It's called an "albatross". These are very rare and only the best in the world are usually able to do it... Of course, you might be EXTRA lucky and shoot a "hole in one"!
Albatross = three strokes under par (-3)
Eagle = two strokes under par (-2)
Birdie = one stroke under par (-1)
Bogey =one stroke over par (+1)
Double bogey = two strokes over par (+2)
Triple bogey =three strokes over par (+3)
Could Rory win the US Open?
Being on your very best form is important if you want to win a golf tournament, but there is also often a large amount of luck involved.
During the 2011 Masters tournament, Rory McIlroy, who was leading the field, shot a historically poor final round (including a triple bogey) to hand the title to South African golfer Charl Schwartzel.
But Rory says he has prepared well for this week's tournament, winning the Canadian Open in dominant fashion.
Speaking to Sky Sports after picking up his trophy, he said: "I played with so much freedom over the weekend, more freedom than I've had for a while, which is exciting".
He last won the US Open in 2011 and has since won three more major tournaments, but he hasn't taken a major trophy for over four years.
Who could challenge Rory?
As the reigning US Open champion and current world number one, you shouldn't rule out American Brooks Koepka.
If he wins, he will become the first person since 1905 to win it three times in row!
Fellow Americans Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods are also ones to watch out for.
Tiger had an amazing comeback in April, winning the Masters nearly 11 years after his last major win.
The last British golfer to win the US Open was Justin Rose (2013) - he is currently ranked fourth in the world so he may be in contention too.