After suffering a heartbreaking collapse in Sunday’s final round of the US Open at Pinehurst No. 2, four-time major champion Rory McIlroy said in a statement on X on Monday that he will take a few weeks off to “process everything.” and rebuild me.”
McIlroy was scheduled to play in this week’s Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, the final signature event of the season. He indicated in the statement that he will not play again until next month’s Genesis Scottish Open, which he won in 2023, and the Open at Royal Troon Golf Course in Scotland.
McIlroy, looking to end a nearly 10-year drought without a major championship victory, held a 2-stroke lead with five holes left at the U.S. Open on Sunday. But he bogeyed three of the last four holes, missing a 2½-foot par on the 16th and a 3-foot, 9-inch par putt on the 18th.
Rory McIlroy said he will regret two missed putts during the final round of the US Open (on Nos. 16 and 18) but will try to focus on the positives. “I have proven my resilience time and time again over the past 17 years and I will do it again,” McIlroy said. Jared C. Tilton//Keynote USA/Getty Images
Bryson DeChambeau won his second US Open title when he hit a shot from a fairway bunker onto the 18th green and par-putted to finish at 6 under, 1 stroke ahead of McIlroy.
McIlroy watched DeChambeau’s winning putt on television in the Pinehurst No. 2 scorer’s box. He left the course less than 10 minutes later without speaking to the media.
“First of all, I would like to congratulate Bryson,” McIlroy said in the statement. “He is a worthy champion and exactly what professional golf needs right now. I think we can all agree on that.”
Featured Sports KeynoteUSA
2 Related
McIlroy said he will “regret a few things over the course of the tournament,” mainly missed putts on Nos. 16 and 18.
“But, as I always try to do, I will look at the positives of the week that far outweigh the negatives,” McIlroy said. “As I said at the beginning of the tournament, I feel closer than ever to winning my next major championship. The only word that would describe my career is resilience. I have shown resilience time and time again over the past few years. 17 years and I will do it again “
McIlroy’s last major championship victory came in August 2014 at the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Since then, he has achieved 20 top 10 finishes at major tournaments, including nine top 5s.
It is not the first time McIlroy has taken a break after a disappointing finish. After missing the cut at the 2023 Masters, in which McIlroy failed for the ninth consecutive time to win a green jacket and complete his career Grand Slam, he skipped the RBC Heritage on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, last week. following.
It was the second signature event McIlroy missed of the 2022-23 season, causing him to lose $3 million of his $12 million Player Impact Program bonus starting in 2022.
It’s also been a tumultuous time for McIlroy off the field. On May 14, McIlroy filed for divorce from his wife, Erica, in the family court of Palm Beach County, Florida. On June 11, McIlroy’s attorney filed a motion to voluntarily dismiss the divorce petition. McIlroy told London’s The Guardian that he had reconciled with his wife.
After Sunday’s finish, other PGA Tour golfers have come to McIlroy’s defense. Shane Lowry, who teamed with McIlroy to win the Zurich Classic team event in New Orleans earlier this season, wrote in X on Monday: “Looking in from the outside…this game is easy. But it’s actually the worst everyone’s game.” We are very lucky to get what we do with this game, but in the last 24 hours I realize that we do it not only for ourselves, but also for our family, friends and fans. in our game, but I would like to encourage people to be kind.
In response to McIlroy’s statement, Billy Horschel, who spoke about his own struggles at the Memorial in 2023, called McIlroy the “greatest player of my generation” and said on his Instagram account that more majors were in his future.
Keynote USA
For the Latest Sports News, Follow Keynote USA Sports on Twitter.