Rory McIlroy has openly expressed his frustration following what he described as a 'pretty average' performance at the US Open. The Masters champion shot a 74 in the third round, dropping to 10 over par for the week.

McIlroy's week at Oakmont has been a rollercoaster. He started well on Thursday but ended his opening round four over par. Despite a recovery on Friday to make the cut, McIlroy admitted he would prefer to be done with the tournament as he is well out of contention.

The 36-year-old has been visibly frustrated throughout the tournament. After Saturday's round, he revealed that his reduced availability to some sections of the media is partly due to a story leaked about his driver before last month's PGA Championship. The USGA asked McIlroy to change the club just two days before the event after an equipment inspection deemed it 'non-conforming'.

McIlroy stated, 'It's just frustration with you guys (some sections of the media). I have been totally available for the past number of years. That [driver issue] was a part of it but at Augusta I skipped you guys on Thursday. It's not out of the ordinary as I've done it before, but I am doing it a little more often. I feel like I've earned the right to do whatever I want to do.'

Looking ahead to Sunday's final round, McIlroy hopes to put the disappointing week behind him. He described Oakmont as a challenging course where the tiniest mistakes get penalized heavily. 'The name of the game this week is staying patient and I've tried to do a good job of it out there, but it's just one of those golf courses you can lose patience with pretty quickly,' he reflected.

McIlroy acknowledged that while he has driven the ball better than he has in a long time, it wasn't enough to overcome the challenges of Oakmont. 'I was hoping to play better, but didn't,' he admitted.

As McIlroy prepares to leave Oakmont, he remains focused on future tournaments, aiming to bounce back from this setback and continue his pursuit of further success in the world of golf.