Rory McIlroy pledged to take an aggressive approach after surprisingly finding himself in contention for a third US PGA title at Oak Hill.

Despite continuing to struggle off the tee, McIlroy carded a second round of 69 for a halfway total of level par to lie just five off the lead shared by Scottie Scheffler, Corey Conners and Viktor Hovland.

First round leader Bryson DeChambeau and fellow American Justin Suh were two shots off the lead, with England’s Callum Tarren – who only secured a place in the field on Friday – another stroke back after a superb 67.

Masters runner-up Brooks Koepka was alongside Tarren on two under thanks to a 66 which included four birdies in the last seven holes.

Justin Rose hit just two fairways but somehow conjured up a second round of 70 to lie one under, with McIlroy and former Open champion Shane Lowry on level par.

“I think with how terribly I’ve felt over the ball, the fact I am only five back… I’m not saying it could be up there with one of my best performances but when I holed that (birdie) putt on the last I thought I can’t believe I’m only five back.

“If I can get the ball in play off the tee I’ll have a shot and at this point I might just tee it high and bomb it everywhere. I may as well just swing it hard and go for it.”

Quote of the day

“I feel like I’ve got the game this week to compete, to tell you the truth”

Club professional Michael Block was not content simply to make the cut after two rounds of 70 left him five off the lead.

Shot of the day

Rory McIlroy was two over par for the day and perhaps starting to worry about making the cut when he holed from 45 feet for birdie on the ninth.

Round of the day

Brooks Koepka birdied five holes on the back nine, including the difficult 17th and 18th, to card a superb 66.

Statistic of the day

Rory McIlroy may not have won a major since 2014, but he continues to pile up some impressive numbers.

Easiest hole

The reachable par-four 14th played to an average of 3.878, with 41 players making birdie.

Hardest hole

The 503-yard sixth hole was comfortably the hardest, with just three players making birdie, 24 making a double bogey and three faring even worse to lead to an average of 4.750

Weather forecast

An approaching low-pressure system and associated cold front will bring a band of rain to the area early on Saturday morning through the early afternoon before tapering off for the rest of the afternoon. Drier conditions return by Saturday evening with partly cloudy skies and mild temperatures expected for Sunday.

Key tee times (all BST)

1840 Rory McIlroy, Shane Lowry
1910 Justin Rose, Michael Block
1920 Callum Tarren, Taylor Pendrith
1930 Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau
1950 Scottie Scheffler, Corey Conners

Justin Rose admitted his second round of 70 was not quite what it seemed as he remained in contention to double his major tally in the 105th US PGA Championship.

Rose shot level par on Friday to post a halfway total of one under par, despite hitting only two fairways in regulation at a fiendishly difficult Oak Hill.

“Smoke and mirrors I guess,” the former Olympic champion said with a smile when asked how he had pulled it off.

“I had a few fair lies in the rough, to be honest. When I did catch a bad lie I took my medicine and pitched out and tried to avoid the big number. I felt like making a bogey or two around here is no big deal.

“The fact that I made 10 birdies [in two rounds] is remarkable considering how I’ve put the ball in play off the tee.

“Iron play I felt was pretty good and obviously I have made some really nice mid-range putts. There’s definitely been some highlights in the game the last couple of days.

“Lots to look forward to and to have kind of going into the weekend, but kind of nice to know that I can maybe try and tighten a few things up as well.”

Rose won the 2013 US Open at Merion with a total of one over par and is relishing another tough challenge over the weekend.

“I think historically I’ve won typically on harder golf courses than not, so I think it fits my profile from that point of view,” he added.

“This is right up there. This feels a little bit of a hybrid kind of PGA/US Open this week. I’m looking forward to the test, I think.

“I thought four under par would be the winning score before the tournament started. It’s very hard to hit the ball in the fairway right now. The fairways are so firm that that’s what’s kind of making them so hard to hit.”

Club professional Michael Block insisted he could contend for an extraordinary victory in the US PGA Championship as Oak Hill continued to provide a stiff test for the world’s best players.

Block, who is one of 20 PGA professionals in the field in Rochester and the head pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in California, carded a second consecutive 70 for a halfway total of level par.

And that was just one behind early clubhouse leader and playing partner Taylor Pendrith, the Canadian adding a 69 to his opening 70 for a one-under-par total later matched by England’s Justin Rose.

“I am having a great time,” Block, 46, said after a round containing four birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey on the fifth, which was the result of a dreaded shank off the tee.

“I have no pressure, I have a job and a pay cheque waiting for me at my club. I don’t have to make putts to pay for my mortgage. This is a beautiful thing I have here. I’m a very lucky guy and I’m looking forward to playing on Saturday and Sunday.

“I feel like I’ve got the game this week to compete, to tell you the truth. I’ve made the cut, which is obviously a huge goal.

“I feel like I could shoot even par out here every day. I feel at the end of the four days that that might be a pretty good result.

“I’m extremely comfortable. To be honest, a couple of my friends in Orange County are Beau Hossler and Patrick Cantlay. I’ve played a lot of golf with them now where they’ve become my friends.

“I understand where they’re ranked in the world (131st and fourth respectively). I understand how my game doesn’t quite get up to them, but I’m pretty darn close, and I can compete with them.

“Why not come here and compete? Why not here at Oak Hill, make the cut? I’m not afraid of them any more, to be honest.”

Block even has the words “Why not?” stamped on the balls he uses as a reminder not to doubt his abilities when the pressure is on, something which stems from holing a putt to qualify for the 2007 US Open.

Asked what the ultimate “why not?” would be, he added: “To win, by far. As weird as it sounds, I’m going to compete. I promise you that.”

Block looked set to face some stiff opposition in his bid for an unlikely victory however, world number two Scottie Scheffler starting his second round with birdies on the first and second to move top of the leaderboard on five under.

Scheffler has won twice and finished no worse than 12th this season to trail world number one Jon Rahm by just 0.5 points at the top of the standings.

First-round leader Bryson DeChambeau, who carded an opening 66, was in the penultimate group on Friday, teeing off at 1431 local time.

Rose joined DeChambeau on four under when he covered his first seven holes of round two in three under par, but struggled off the tee and played the remainder in three over.

Rahm was among the players who faced an uphill battle to make the halfway cut.

Seeking back-to-back major titles following his Masters triumph at Augusta National last month, Rahm birdied his opening hole in the first round before slumping to a six-over-par 76.

US Open champion and playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick failed to make a single birdie as he recorded the same score, but Rory McIlroy had fought back from three over par after nine holes to post a 71 despite struggling with an unspecified illness.

Club professional Michael Block remarkably found himself high on the leaderboard as Oak Hill continued to provide a stiff test in the 105th US PGA Championship.

Block, who is one of 20 PGA professionals in the field in Rochester and the head pro at Arroyo Trabuco Golf Club in California, carded a second consecutive 70 for a halfway total of level par.

And that was just one behind early clubhouse leader and playing partner Taylor Pendrith, the Canadian added a second round of 69 to his opening 70 to finish one under.

“I am having a great time,” Block, 46, said after a round containing four birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey on the fifth, which was the result of a dreaded shank off the tee.

“I have no pressure, I have a job and a pay cheque waiting for me at my club. I don’t have to make putts to pay for my mortgage.

“This is a beautiful thing I have here. I’m a very lucky guy and I’m looking forward to playing on Saturday and Sunday.”

First-round leader Bryson DeChambeau, who carded an opening four-under-par 66, was in the penultimate group on Friday and not scheduled to begin round two until 1431 local time.

DeChambeau had company at the top of the leaderboard when fellow former US Open champion Justin Rose covered his first seven holes in three under par, despite not hitting a single fairway in regulation.

Rose, who had completed an opening 69 by chipping in for birdie on the 18th when play resumed at 7am on Friday morning, dropped a shot on the same hole in round two to drop back to three under.

World number one Jon Rahm was among the players who faced an uphill battle to make the halfway cut.

Seeking back-to-back major titles following his Masters triumph at Augusta National last month, Rahm birdied his opening hole in the first round before slumping to a six-over-par 76.

US Open champion and playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick failed to make a single birdie as he recorded the same score, but Rory McIlroy had fought back from three over par after nine holes to post a 71 despite struggling with an unspecified illness.

Oak Hill continued to provide a stiff test as the 105th US PGA Championship got back on track on Friday.

A frost delay of almost two hours meant the first round had not been completed on schedule on Thursday, with 11 groups still out on the course when play was suspended at 8.30pm local time.

American Eric Cole was one of the players involved and had reached five under par after 14 holes to find himself on top of the leaderboard.

However, when play resumed at 7am on Friday the world number 122 hit his first shot of the day into the water to the left of the sixth green to run up a double-bogey six.

Cole parred his final three holes to complete an opening 67 and share second place with Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson and Corey Conners, a shot behind former US Open champion Bryson DeChambeau.

Johnson began his second round with four straight pars to remain three under, with England’s Justin Rose another stroke back.

Rose had completed an opening 69 by chipping in for birdie on the 18th on Friday morning and, after a quick turnaround, picked up another shot on the 10th, his first hole of round two.

DeChambeau was among the later starters in round two along with world number one Jon Rahm, who faced an uphill battle to make the halfway cut.

Seeking back-to-back major titles following his Masters triumph at Augusta National last month, Rahm birdied his opening hole in the first round before slumping to a six-over-par 76.

US Open champion and playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick failed to make a single birdie as he recorded the same score, but Rory McIlroy had fought back from three over par after nine holes to post a 71 despite struggling with an unspecified illness.

World number one Jon Rahm faced an uphill battle to make the halfway cut on day two of the 105th US PGA Championship at Oak Hill.

Seeking back-to-back major titles following his Masters triumph at Augusta National last month, Rahm birdied his opening hole in the first round before slumping to a six-over-par 76.

US Open champion and playing partner Matt Fitzpatrick failed to record a single birdie as he recorded the same score to trail clubhouse leader Bryson DeChambeau by 10 shots.

DeChambeau’s 66 gave him a one-shot lead over world number two Scottie Scheffler, Dustin Johnson and Corey Conners, although Eric Cole had reached five under after 14 holes when play was suspended for the day due to darkness.

The start of play had been delayed by an hour and 50 minutes on Thursday morning due to frost.

Rory McIlroy fought back from three over par after nine holes to post a 71 despite struggling with an unspecified illness.

Quote of the day

Keegan Bradley reflects on a rollercoaster opening round of 68.

Shot of the day

Scott Stallings began his round from the 10th and holed his second shot of the day from 128 yards for an eagle.

Round of the day

Although DeChambeau shot the lowest score, arguably the best round of the day was a bogey-free effort from Scottie Scheffler.

Statistic of the day

World number one and Masters champion Jon Rahm struggled to an opening 76.

Hardest hole (*round incomplete)

The 481-yard ninth hole yielded just seven birdies and played to an average of 4.448.

Easiest hole (*round incomplete)

Despite measuring 617 yards, the par-five fourth hole played to an average of 4.873, with Rory McIlroy reaching the green with a long iron to set up one of the 32 birdies made.

Weather forecast

Much warmer temperatures can be expected on Friday ahead of an approaching low-pressure system and associated cold front that will move through the region on Saturday. This will bring a good chance for rain Friday night through the day on Saturday. Drier conditions return by Saturday evening with partly cloudy skies and mild temperatures expected for Sunday.

Tom Kim admitted he missed the anonymity of playing in tournaments without widespread television coverage after an embarrassing incident at Oak Hill.

Kim unwittingly provided the viral moment of day one of the US PGA Championship after an errant tee shot on the par-four sixth, his 15th of the day.

The world number 19 thought he could play his ball from the edge of the hazard but discovered the ground was considerably softer and muddier than he anticipated.

Television footage captured Kim emerging with his legs covered in mud and kept rolling as he decided he may as well find a cleaner part of the creek in which to wash his legs and trousers.

“I think the world has seen enough already of it,” Kim joked as he was shown the footage while speaking to Sky Sports following a round of 73.

“But I hit it over in the mud and I was hoping I was able to find it. I wasn’t able to find it and there was a moment where my legs were inside the mud and I wasn’t able to get myself out for a minute.

“I was talking to Joe (Skovron, his caddie) and said I might as well go in the water and wash myself off and I took a bath over there. I’ve had better days for sure.”

The incident took place shortly before play was suspended late on Thursday evening and Kim had hoped there would be no footage, adding: “I miss the days when I played on a Tour without cameras.”

A year after withdrawing before the start of the US PGA Championship following hand surgery, Bryson DeChambeau set the clubhouse target on a weather-delayed opening day at Oak Hill.

DeChambeau carded six birdies and two bogeys in an opening four-under-par 66 on a course that lived up to comparisons with Winged Foot, the venue for his dominant US Open victory in 2020.

Much has happened to the 29-year-old since then, including a feud with Brooks Koepka, being labelled an eight-year-old by his equipment manufacturer after complaining his driver “sucks” during the Open Championship and abandoning his unhealthy bulking regime.

DeChambeau also joined LIV Golf last year, five months after pledging his loyalty to the PGA Tour, while Thursday’s round included accidentally hitting fellow competitor Kenny Pigman – who was on the 18th tee – with a wild approach to the 17th.

“It’s a fantastic round of golf at Oak Hill,” DeChambeau said. “It’s a prestigious place. Very difficult golf course.

“As I was looking at it throughout the week, I’m like, man, I don’t know how shooting under par is even possible out here on some of the golf holes.

“But, luckily, I was able to play some really good golf, hit a lot of fairways, did my job and made some putts.

“It’s a different test (to Winged Foot) and a test that I’m willing take on. If you’re driving it well and hitting your irons well, you can play out here, but it can get pretty nasty pretty quick if you’re not hitting it straight.”

A combination of injuries, loss of form and joining LIV Golf – which cannot award world ranking points for its events – means DeChambeau has fallen from a career-high of fourth in the standings to 214th.

And he admitted there were times when he doubted whether he would ever be able to get back to the top of the game.

“How serious were they? There were times I doubted myself, severe doubts, but never got to a point where I was done. Maybe for like a day I was done, I’m just going to take a day off, whatever, and the next day I came back.

“The emotions have definitely fluctuated pretty high and pretty low, thinking I have something and it fails and going back and forth.

“It’s humbling. Golf, and life, always has a good way of kicking you on your you-know-what when you are on your high horse. It’s nice to feel this today.”

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox admitted his impressive opening round came as a surprise after detailing his extraordinary build up to the 105th US PGA Championship.

Fox fell ill during his Masters debut last month and withdrew after just nine holes of the following week’s RBC Heritage before flying home to Auckland.

The 36-year-old was diagnosed with pneumonia and took two weeks to recover, just in time to welcome the arrival of his second daughter Margot.

After enjoying a few days at home with his family, Fox then flew back to the United States and only arrived in Rochester on Monday morning, before also having to deal with an overnight frost which delayed Thursday’s early starters.

“It’s been an interesting last month,” Fox, who won twice on the DP World Tour last season, said with considerable understatement after carding a two-under-par 68.

“At the Masters I was pretty sick on the weekend. Tried to play Hilton Head, withdrew from there after nine holes, just feeling awful. Got home and got told I caught pneumonia, which pretty much explained why I felt so bad.

“Basically as soon as I got over that, our daughter was born, which was just over two weeks ago now. So I had a few sleepless nights and not a lot of practice.

“One of the days I was supposed to go to practice, Auckland flooded for the third time this year. So I think I drove around Auckland (covering) 27 kilometres in four hours in chaos.

“It wasn’t quite the ideal preparation for a major, but I was kind of hoping the fact I needed a break after a busy start to the year and being mentally fresh would have been important this week.

“It’s pretty surprising to have four weeks off and shoot 68, especially when the course is pretty brutal if you are out of position.”

As one of the early starters Fox left his hotel at 5.30am, meaning he only received notification of the delayed start when he arrived at the course.

“I was due to see my physio at 6am and I was going to have breakfast beforehand. Just as I got to the golf course, I got the text,” Fox added.

“I certainly would have liked another hour and a bit in bed, but I can go and have a pretty nice nap this afternoon, I think.”

Rory McIlroy was unable to hide his frustration after making a slow start to the 105th US PGA Championship.

Following a delay of almost two hours due to overnight frost, Oak Hill member McIlroy failed to register a birdie as he covered his opening nine holes in three over par.

Starting from the 10th, McIlroy began his bid for a first major title since the 2014 US PGA with five straight pars before badly mishitting his tee shot on the par-three 15th to find a bunker 30 yards short of the pin.

McIlroy hit a good bunker shot to nine feet but was unable to convert the par putt and also failed to get up and down from sand on the 17th, before taking a swipe at the tee marker on the 18th following another errant drive.

A third bogey of the day dropped McIlroy six shots off the early lead shared by 2011 US PGA champion Keegan Bradley, Sahith Theegala and Japan’s Kazuki Higa, who had earlier carded four birdies in a row from the 11th.

Play had been scheduled to get under way at 7am local time (1200 BST), but predictions of cold conditions overnight were accurate.

Tournament organisers released a statement early on Thursday morning which read: “Due to frost, all Oak Hill Country Club practice facilities and the golf course are currently closed.

“To protect playing surfaces, everyone on-site must stay off any grass and gates will not open until the frost clears.”

With the temperature slowly rising, officials announced the first group would tee off at 0850 from the first and five minutes later from the 10th, a total delay of one hour and 50 minutes.

The possibility of weather delays had been on the cards since the US PGA was moved from August to May in 2019, with Oak Hill having already been selected as this year’s venue.

Speaking on Tuesday, the PGA of America’s chief championships officer Kerry Haigh said: “Wherever the championship is (in May) appears as though it will bring some more variety to the weather than we’re used to having when we played in August.

“There is the possibility of a frost again on Thursday morning. We had a frost Tuesday morning. We had a couple of frosts last week. That may delay the start. Hopefully it won’t. But if it does, we’ll adapt.

“We’ve got the chance of rain on Saturday and hopefully clear on Sunday. That’s sort of the fun of golf. It’s an outdoor game and we can’t wait to see what Mother Nature brings as well.”

Frost has delayed the start of the 105th US PGA Championship, the year’s second major, at Oak Hill in Rochester.

Play had been scheduled to get under way at 7am local time (1200 BST), but predictions of an overnight frost proved accurate.

Tournament organisers released a statement early on Thursday morning which read: “Due to frost, all Oak Hill Country Club practice facilities and the golf course are currently closed.

“To protect playing surfaces, everyone on-site must stay off any grass and gates will not open until the frost clears.

“Starting times for round one will begin approximately 1hr and 15 minutes after practice facilities open.”

The possibility of weather delays had been on the cards since the US PGA was moved from August to May in 2019, with Oak Hill having already been selected as this year’s venue.

Speaking on Tuesday, the PGA of America’s chief championships officer Kerry Haigh said: “Wherever the championship is (in May) appears as though it will bring some more variety to the weather than we’re used to having when we played in August.

“There is the possibility of a frost again on Thursday morning. We had a frost Tuesday morning. We had a couple of frosts last week. That may delay the start. Hopefully it won’t. But if it does, we’ll adapt.

“We’ve got the chance of rain on Saturday and hopefully clear on Sunday. That’s sort of the fun of golf. It’s an outdoor game and we can’t wait to see what Mother Nature brings as well.”

Matt Fitzpatrick insists he will relish the challenge of a “brute of a golf course” as he bids to claim a second major title in the US PGA Championship.

The renovated East Course at Oak Hill is set to provide the world’s best players with a severe test, with Robert MacIntyre describing it as an “absolute monster” and the toughest course he has ever played.

However, the 7,394-yard, par-70 layout – whose two par fives both measure over 600 yards – holds relatively few fears for Fitzpatrick, who played in the final group in the last round of the US PGA 12 months ago before winning his maiden major title a month later at the US Open.

“I think that final round (at Southern Hills) there was a lot of talk about me playing a little bit too fast, looking a bit rushed,” Fitzpatrick said.

“Obviously at the time you don’t see that and I only really had like a week afterwards before I was playing the next run of tournaments, so I kind of didn’t get much time to reflect on it.

“But then I think when the time came Sunday of US Open I felt like I knew exactly what to do.

“Statistically I didn’t even putt that well that week, so if I can play the same way again and putt as well as I know I can, then that’s also another level that I can kind of add to my performance.

“I think that’s kind of a big thing for myself that I feel like if I can do that, I know I can contend and win.”

Fitzpatrick was six under par in winning the US Open at Brookline and although he was 17 under before beating Jordan Spieth in a play-off at the RBC Heritage last month, a tougher test has always been his preference.

“I’ve said it multiple times, I hate it when tournaments are 25, 30 under par to win,” the world number seven said. “I don’t particularly feel like I play well in those.

“I just like it when it’s hard and you’ve got to battle and par is a good score. I just enjoy it, for whatever reason.

“From the holes that I’ve seen, there’s so many tough, tough golf holes where you have to hit just good shots. I think that’s the great thing about it, it’s a proper test.

“It’s just a brute of a golf course. It reminds me a lot of Winged Foot when we played (the 2020 US Open) just because you miss the fairways there and it was just chipping out.

“Whoever does win this week, in my opinion, will thoroughly deserve it.”

The last seven men’s majors have all been won by players in their 20s, a streak started by Jon Rahm’s US Open victory in 2021 and continued by the world number one’s Masters triumph last month.

That may be a good omen for the likes of Rahm, Fitzpatrick and Open champion Cameron Smith – who will contest the first two rounds together – and also for world number two Scottie Scheffler.

But it is less encouraging for Rory McIlroy as he bids to claim a first major title since the second of his US PGA wins in 2014, the 33-year-old having followed a dispiriting missed cut in the Masters with a tie for 47th in the Wells Fargo Championship.

Jordan Spieth, who needs to lift the Wanamaker Trophy to complete a career grand slam, looked on course to compete at Oak Hill after withdrawing from last week’s PGA Tour event due to “severe pain” from a wrist injury.

Captain Zach Johnson insists the possibility of LIV players making the US Ryder Cup team is currently “not even a discussion item”.

American players remain eligible for the biennial contest despite being banned or resigning from the PGA Tour in the wake of joining the Saudi-funded circuit.

Six players will qualify automatically for the team and Johnson will select six wild cards, with Brooks Koepka (22nd) the highest-ranked LIV player following his share of second place in the Masters.

Asked ahead of the US PGA Championship how much he had thought about LIV players making the team, Johnson said: “We’re at a point right now where it’s not even a discussion item.

“There’s maybe a couple guys that have come close to securing their spot in the top six, but when it comes to picks it’s not even on my radar, especially given how many points are still out there, whether you’re talking about major championships or elevated events or all of the above.

“I think it would be premature and almost irresponsible to even go into that. It’s not on my radar right now.”

Johnson also stressed he would not be placing too much importance on Koepka’s performance at Augusta National, or the fact that Dustin Johnson won the latest LIV event in Tulsa.

“He played really good that one week, but it’s one week,” Johnson said of Koepka. “He played great but there’s still a lot of golf between now and then.

“One of the factors that we’ve looked at over the years is what kind of form are the guys in when it gets close to the Tour Championship (August 24-27). I think that would be wise for me to look at.

“I remember playing really well one spring thinking, man, I’ve got this, I’m a shoo-in, and I didn’t make the team. There’s a lot of factors involved.”

Asked about his namesake’s form, Johnson added: “Really difficult for me to judge that. I don’t know the golf courses they’re playing. Never seen them. I’m not there on foot, in person.

“You’re talking about an individual whose resume is extremely deep and wide.

“He’s certainly in my generation one of the best players I’ve ever competed against, but it’s not fair for me to guess his true form or anybody’s true form that I can’t witness.”

Whoever does make the team, Johnson confirmed he will take all 12 players on a scouting mission to Marco Simone Golf and Country Club two and a half weeks before the Ryder Cup gets under way on September 29.

Jon Rahm hopes he can “ride the wave” of his brilliant form this season to more major success.

Rahm has won four times in 11 events in 2023, the most recent seeing him replace Scottie Scheffler as world number one after succeeding the American as Masters champion at Augusta National.

The former US Open champion is now halfway to completing a career grand slam and, with the majors coming thick and fast since the US PGA Championship moved from August to May in 2019, Rahm admits he is relishing the prospect of adding to his tally at Oak Hill this week.

“I’m confident. I feel good,” Rahm said. “It’s been a great year. It’s been an amazing year. I’m just hoping to keep adding more to it. It’s been a lot of fun, and hopefully I can keep riding that wave.

“There’s always little things we all want to improve, but I think at the end of the day it’s all what’s going on between the ears on the golf course more than technique at this point of the season.

“It doesn’t happen often that a player wins more than one major in a year, so it would be amazing to be able to join my name to that list. Latest to do it that I can remember was Brooks (Koepka), was it 2018?

“Before that Jordan (Spieth) in 2015. It just doesn’t happen often so I would love to.”

Spieth needs to win the US PGA to complete a career grand slam, although he is doubtful this week with a wrist injury, while Rory McIlroy’s latest attempt to become the sixth player to have won all four majors ended with a dispiriting missed cut in the Masters.

Asked about his own prospects of joining golf’s most exclusive club, Rahm said: “Obviously if I were to win this week or the Open Championship it really becomes a true reality, but winning two majors is not easy, and picking which ones you win is a little ludicrous to think about.

“I think obviously winning the grand slam would absolutely be amazing, but I think, without sounding too conceited or arrogant, I’d rather focus on the number of majors you win than having the grand slam per se.

“Obviously it would be amazing, but the more you put yourself in the position to be able to win majors, the more likely you might be to get it done.

“But it’s a very small number of players to do it, last one being Tiger (Woods). It’s obviously not an easy thing to accomplish.”

A subdued Rory McIlroy admitted he has been working on lowering his expectations ahead of the 105th US PGA Championship following his miserable Masters experience.

McIlroy spoke confidently of having all the ingredients to win a green jacket and complete the career grand slam ahead of the year’s first major at Augusta National, with Tiger Woods even claiming it was just a matter of time.

Yet while Woods played through the pain barrier to make a record-equalling 23rd consecutive cut before being forced to withdraw, McIlroy made an early exit without speaking to reporters following a second round of 77.

The world number three then withdrew from the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head, meaning he missed his second ‘designated event’ of the year on the PGA Tour and lost 25 per cent of his Player Impact Program bonus (£2.4million).

McIlroy felt the break was necessary for his “mental and emotional wellbeing” after a taxing 12 months in which he juggled on-course competition with his role as an unofficial spokesman for the PGA Tour in its battle against LIV Golf.

And he tellingly revealed that he had allowed himself to think about becoming just the sixth player to have won all four major titles after shooting five under par on the back nine of his Wednesday practice round at Augusta.

It was a complete contrast on Tuesday at Oak Hill, where questions related to LIV Golf received short shrift but he tellingly revealed what he was working on with regards to the mental side of the game.

“Less expectations,” McIlroy said. “Just sort of trying to be in a good spot with taking what comes and not thinking about things too much, not getting ahead of myself.

“Just trying to go out there, play a good first hole of the tournament, and then once I do that, try to play a good second hole and just sort of go from there.

“Golf is golf, and it happens and you’re going to have bad days. It wasn’t really the performance of Augusta that’s hard to get over, it’s just more mental aspect and the deflation of it and sort of trying to get your mind in the right place to start going forward again, I guess.

“I think I’m close. I think I’ve made some good strides even from Quail Hollow a couple weeks ago.

“I’m seeing some better things, better start lines, certainly just some better golf shots. A little more sure of where I’m going to start the ball and sort of a more consistent shot pattern.

“But yeah, we’ll get out there and see and play. If I can execute the way that I feel like I can, then I still believe that I’m one of the best players in the world and I can produce good golf to have a chance of winning this week.”

McIlroy is a two-time US PGA champion and finished eighth in defence of his title at Oak Hill in 2013, since when he married Rochester native Erica Stoll and became a member of the golf club.

The 34-year-old is also a fan of the recent renovation of the East Course and believes discipline will be the key to success as he bids to end a major drought stretching back to the 2014 US PGA at Valhalla.

“You’ve got to keep it out of those fairway bunkers. They’re very, very penal,” McIlroy added.

“It’s a long golf course, and power and length is going to be an advantage. But I think even more of an advantage is making sure that you’re hitting into these greens from the fairways.

“It’s a combination of everything, but I think discipline is going to be a huge factor this week.”