Rory McIlroy has commented for the first time since his US Open final-round heartbreak, tweeting he will take a few weeks away from the game after his ‘toughest day as a professional golfer’.
McIlroy bogeyed three of his final four holes at Pinehurst No 2 on Sunday as he finished second at a major for the fourth time since winning the PGA Championship in 2014.
Having led by two shots at one point, McIlroy missed two par putts from inside four feet over the closing stretch as Bryson DeChambeau ultimately claimed the title by one stroke.
McIlroy posted on X on Monday evening: “Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I’ve had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer.
“Firstly, I’d like to congratulate Bryson. He is a worthy champion and exactly what professional golf needs right now. I think we can all agree on that.
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A look back at the big misses that cost McIlroy a first major in 10 years on a dramatic final day of the US Open
“As I reflect on my week, I’ll rue a few things over the course of the tournament, mostly the 2 missed putts on 16 and 18 on the final day. But, as I always try to do, I’ll look at the positives of the week that far outweigh the negatives.
“As I said at the start of the tournament, I feel closer to winning my next major championship than I ever have.
“The one word that I would describe my career as is resilient. I’ve shown my resilience over and over again in the last 17 years and I will again.
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Nick Faldo and Wayne Riley were baffled by some of the decisions Rory McIlroy was making towards the end of his final round of the US Open, which he lost by one shot to Bryson DeChambeau
“I’m going to take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up for my defence of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon. See you in Scotland.”
The former world No 1 now has 21 top-10s in majors since his 2014 victory at Valhalla, which is more than any other player in that period.
McGinley: McIlroy failed to take initiative in US Open failure
Sky Sports’ Paul McGinley:
“He’s had chances to win three majors in the last two years since St Andrews going up against Cameron Smith.
“He hasn’t lost them because his swing deserted him at the wrong time, he lost them because his putting went slow and when he had opportunities he didn’t seize the initiative.
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Paul McGinley believes McIlroy’s drought in golf’s major tournaments is due to ‘not taking initiative’ but Brandel Chamblee thinks it’s because his swing isn’t as good as it used to be
“You see him [win on the PGA Tour] at Quail Hollow, he gets the opportunity, he seizes it and he runs off into the distance.
“He knows how to do it. The difference in major championships is, when the initiative is presented to him, he doesn’t run off.
“On the back of the 13th, where he made birdie to go two shots ahead, he played 14 really poorly, he played 15 really poorly, 16, 17 and 18 really poorly.
“Mentally, he got on the precipice of winning this tournament and instead of driving over the line, he hesitated. And if you hesitate with guys like Bryson around you, you’ve got a problem.”
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