ERIN, Wisc. -- Rory McIlroy is ready to go.
That was his message at the U.S. Open on Tuesday, as he prepared to compete for the first time in five weeks after recovering from a recurring rib injury.
"I feel really good," said McIlroy, who won this event in 2011. "I'm totally fine to play. I don't feel it at all. It's just a matter of managing that sort of practice load, which isn't a bad thing. It means I can go out and play."
While he maintained there are no limitations on his swing or any other technical aspects of his game, McIlroy admitted he's scaled back his off-course preparations.
"Instead of hitting five bags of balls, I'll hit two, just something like that," he said. "It's not as if I can't hit balls, it's just a matter of managing how many repetitions I put through it. I mean, not really many limitations. It's at the point in the year, as well, you don't need to be practicing that much. You want to go out and play. I feel like you figure stuff out on the golf course more than on the range sometimes, anyway, and it's let me concentrate a bit more on my short game."
McIlroy added that he's played "eight or nine rounds" in the past 10 days, including two full 18-hole rounds at U.S. Open host course Erin Hills over the past weekend.
"I don't feel like my body is limiting me from doing what I want to do out there," he continued. "It's just a matter of being able to do it. If I play the way that I know I can, I fully expect to have a chance on Sunday."
As long as his injury complies, McIlroy is planning a busy summer schedule. He will compete in next week's Travelers Championship for the first time, then will travel overseas, where he'll play host at the Irish Open, then compete at the Scottish Open before the Open Championship.
