Rory McIlroy has released a short statement following his US Open collapse.
The Northern Irishman was closing in on that so far elusive fifth major and ending a ten-year drought in golf’s four biggest competitions before a mini collapse over the last few holes at Pinehurst allowed Bryson DeChambeau to pip him to that famous trophy.
McIlroy had jumped in his car and left the property before DeChambeau had even signed his scorecard, and that drew criticism from fans and pundits alike.
But now, after a day of reflection at home in Florida with his wife, Erica, and daughter, Poppy, McIlroy used his various social media accounts to have his say.
“Yesterday (Sunday) was a tough day,” he wrote. “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 worth champion and exactly what professional golf needs right now. I think we can all agree on that.
“As I reflect on my week, I’ll rue a few things over the course of the tournament, mostly the two 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.”
There were question marks on Monday as to whether or not McIlroy would show up at TPC River Highlands for the PGA Tour’s latest signature event at the Travelers Championship.
But he concluded his statement by confirming the next time we see him in action will be in the UK.
“I’m going to take a few weeks away from the game and process everything and build myself back up for my defence of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon,” he added.
“See you in Scotland.”
Shane Lowry, with whom McIlroy won the Zurich Classic pairs event recently, added a post of his own.
“From the outside looking in, this game is easy,” he wrote. “But in reality it’s the worst game of all. We are very fortunate to get what we do from this game, but over the last 24 hours it’s hit me.
“We do it for not only ourselves but for our family, friends, and fans.
“What Rory has gone through is as tough as it gets in our game but I would like to encourage people if anything please be kind.”
