Rory McIlroy takes familiar action in wild US Open conditions days before ferocious test

Hold onto your hats, folks. Or just get rid of them, if you’re Rory McIlroy.

The six-time major winner reverted to a fan-favourite trick in his bid to win a second US Open title.

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Shinnecock Hills plays host to the toughest test in golf this week – and the weather is set to make things harder than ever.

Gusts of more than 30mph are expected on Thursday and the wind is set to play a huge role throughout the weekend, making the iconic challenge of Shinnecock even more difficult for the world’s best.

With an open layout and the Atlantic Ocean either side of the Long Island track, McIlroy and co. can expect those high winds to feel even harsher in reality, as they try to navigate dense rough and lightning-fast greens.

Indeed, it seems McIlroy has already been affected, as he was pictured without a hat during a blustery practice round on Monday.

Jovial as it may seem, McIlroy began the day with his classic white Nike cap before removing it, suggesting it was a decision forced upon him by the wind.

Hatless Rory

Golf fans are well-accustomed to seeing golfers permanently dressed in hats.

We get a brief glimpse of their scalps during handshakes on the 18th green, often exposing some rather unflattering tan lines.

The Augusta press room is just about the only other time we are reminded that some golfers actually have hair.

But purists seeing McIlroy’s curly locks in full glory will immediately think of the Ryder Cup.

The 37-year-old was one of the first golfers in living memory to compete without a hat during the 2016 and 2018 editions of the biennial event.

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Why? It was not a weird form of protest like Patrick Cantlay, it was because his head is the size of a pea (his words, not ours).

McIlroy has all of his hats custom-made for him by Nike, while the Team Europe kit team did not catch up to his specific needs until Whistling Straits in 2021.

He has the same problem when competing for Ireland at the Olympics.

“My head is so small that I have to get Nike to make me custom hats,” McIlroy said in 2021.

“So whenever I’m in a team event and the hats aren’t custom, they’re all too big.”

Perhaps Nike did not account for the size of McIlroy’s head in this week’s ferocious conditions at Shinnecock Hills.