It emerged the USGA asked McIlroy to change the club just two days before the event after an equipment inspection deemed it 'non-conforming'. "It's just frustration with you guys (some sections of the media)," he said. "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." McIlroy said he hoped Sunday's final round will be a case of taking "four and a half hours and out of here" to put a disappointing week behind him. The Oakmont course has proved to be a challenge for the entire field and although McIlroy has been happy with some aspects of his game, retaining focus has been an issue at times. "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. "I have driven the ball better and as good as I have for a long time, so that's a positive from this week. I was hoping to play better, but didn't."