Defending U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy heads into this year's tournament hoping to become one of just a few golfers to win the Grand Slam event in back-to-back years. Although McIlroy had struggled a bit in recent months, he made a strong showing at the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis over the past weekend heading into the Open.
According to Mark Conley of the Mercury News, the No. 2 golfer in the world is taking away a lot of positives from his seventh-place finish at St. Jude.
"I shot a couple of good scores and I saw some really positive signs," he said. "Looking back on the week, it was a really good idea that I went there. I definitely feel more comfortable about my game going into this week than if I hadn't played.
"You're not just happy with top 10s any more. It's a good result, but it's not what you want," he said. "It's really given me a lot of self-belief knowing that I've won one of these before and that I can go and do it again. ... In golfing terms, it's changed me a lot. I feel like it's given me a lot of confidence. And I feel like I have a chance in these tournaments every time I tee it up."
McIlroy certainly has a chance. Though the competition will be fierce -- and the scoring is expected to be tight -- he could very well wind up with his second straight U.S. Open title.
For all your news and updates in the run up to the 2012 U.S. Open at Olympic, visit SB Nation's dedicated golf hub. Be sure to head over to USOpen.com for even more coverage of the event.
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