Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau are both in contention to win the U.S. Open at Pinehurst this weekend - but the two rivals are taking very different approaches when it comes to keeping an eye on the rest of the field.
On Friday, McIlroy shot a two-over 72 to slip down the leaderboard after ending the first round with a share of the lead alongside Ryder Cup enemy Patrick Cantlay. Grouped with world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele, McIlroy endured a turbulent round to finish three-under par heading into the weekend.
It was a score bettered by DeChambeau, who set the halfway target at four-under on the back of a five-birdie performance. The American, whose sole major title came at the U.S. Open in 2020, shot a respectable 69 as the revered Pinehurst No. 2 course took no prisoners.
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Intriguingly, McIlroy and DeChambeau both go about their spare time very differently at major tournaments. While the pair are only separated by a single shot through two rounds in North Carolina, DeChambeau likes to watch the U.S. Open on television while McIlroy steers clear.
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“I don't like seeing where other guys are hitting it,” McIlroy told reporters on Friday. “I particularly don't like when I can watch people hit putts on greens because then, whenever I have a similar putt on the golf course, I'm going off the memory of what I think I saw on TV instead of seeing it with my own eyes. I’d rather just not have that option at all. But yeah, I mean, this afternoon I'll probably tune in a little bit and watch.”
He added: “Before I go out to play, I've learned the hard way at times that I don't need to be watching on the TV.”
Rory McIlroy likes to stay firmly focused on the task ahead when competing at a major (Getty Images)It is a stark contrast to DeChambeau, who watches how his peers fare to see if there’s any advantage he can figure out ahead of returning to the course. When asked if he watches the morning coverage before he plays, the 30-year-old said: “Oh, yeah, I love it. It's good insight, great information, see how things are playing, where not to be, where to be.
“I like going to bed late and waking up late, as well. So I won't be getting up at 8:00 a.m. or 5:30 a.m. like this morning. I'll be sleeping in. I need some rest.”
McIlroy and DeChambeau will vie for major championship glory at the U.S. Open this weekend, with both men in third-round action on Saturday.
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