When Rory McIlroy won the Masters back in April, ending an 11-year wait for a major, everybody expected the golf star to build on that triumph with more sensational exploits.
However, as the US Open creeps closer, that hasn't materialised with the 36-year-old currently a shell of his usual self.
McIlroy won the Masters by beating Justin Rose in a tantalising play-off that captured the imagination of golf fans around the world.
It meant the Briton finally completed the career Grand Slam, becoming the first European star in history to do so in the process.
Rory McIlroy will be hoping to win the US Open this week
REUTERS
Since then, however, McIlroy has struggled.
Just last week, the Northern Irishman failed to make the cut at the Canadian Open - with that disappointing display coming after he'd failed to set the world alight at the PGA Championship.
Given McIlroy's obvious quality, fans could be forgiven for thinking that he's just going through a blip. After all, even the best sports stars can be vulnerable to pressure, expectation and everything those things bring.
But McIlroy himself has admitted he's 'concerned' as the US Open creeps closer. Speaking after his troubles in Canada, he said: “Of course it concerns me. You don’t want to shoot high scores like the one I did today.
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"I felt like I came here with a new driver thinking that was going to be good and solve some of the problems off the tee, but it didn’t.
“Going to Oakmont next week, what you need to do more than anything else there is hit fairways. Still searching for the missing piece off the tee.
"When I get that part of the game clicking, then everything falls into place for me. Right now that isn’t.”
He continued: “Even though the last two days didn’t go the way I wanted them to, there’s still things I can take from it and still things I can learn.
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Rory McIlroy has struggled ever since winning the Masters back in April
"I’m going to have to do a lot of practice, a lot of work over the weekend at home and try to at least have a better idea of where my game is going into next week.”
McIlroy is, however, also fuelled by anger.
At the PGA Championship, he'd gone into the event aiming to add another major to his collection - only for his title bid to be derailed almost immediately.
Prior to that major, McIlroy was forced to change drivers. This information should have been confidential but instead leaked out, much to his dismay.
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Speaking before the Canadian Open, McIlroy confessed that the situation had riled him - in no uncertain terms.
“I was a little p***ed off because I knew that Scottie [Scheffler's] driver had failed but my name was the one that was leaked.
"It was supposed to stay confidential.
“I didn’t want to get up there and say something that I regretted, either, because I’m trying to protect Scottie, I don’t want to mention his name.”
Rory McIlroy won the Masters back in AprilREUTERSWhether McIlroy can win the US Open remains to be seen.
However, fuelled by anger and concern, few would bet against him.
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