Rory McIlroy has taken some disappointing defeats in majors over the past 10 years, but nothing has topped his two-stroke collapse late in Sunday’s U.S. Open.
McIlroy bogeyed three of the final four holes and didn’t stick around to congratulate Bryson DeChambeau on his win or speak to the media at Pinehurst. Given how emotional that kind of defeat must have been, his quick exit was understandable — albeit surprising.
Yet, with a day to reflect on the loss, McIlroy has finally spoken about his defeat and offered a public congratulations to DeChambeau.
In a statement on Twitter/X (in a screenshot from his Notes app), McIlroy said that Sunday’s defeat was probably the toughest of his pro career. He added that he was going to take a break from golf for the next few weeks.
— Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) June 17, 2024
That means that McIlroy won’t be competing at the Travelers Championship in Connecticut this weekend (along with the Rocket Mortgage Classic and John Deere Classic). He plans to make his return for the Scottish Open and compete at The Open Championship in July.
While McIlroy didn’t mention his hasty exit from the course, fans did appreciate that the four-time major champion spoke out about the rough afternoon.
This was how Twitter/X reacted
This will have been so tough to compose and I can’t even begin to imagine how much sleep he’s lost and will continue to lose thinking about that last hour last night. But as he acknowledges himself, if there’s one word you can use for Rory McIlroy’s career it’s resilience. https://t.co/ehB3m9SAA4
— Jamie Weir (@jamiecweir) June 17, 2024
Wish my notes section was this influential 😅 https://t.co/WpNfoxEXSe
— Pro Sports Fans (@PSF_App) June 17, 2024
PLEASE RESPECT MY DECISION*
*to not go to Connecticut, Detroit, or the Quad Cities https://t.co/HP7SXIkceX
— ANTIFAldo (@ANTIFAldo) June 17, 2024
Don’t let it defeat you, sir. https://t.co/d0EXqQCsDa
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) June 17, 2024
The lad is an absolute superstar. One of the very best to ever play a game that is so, so hard. To focus on what cost him the win yesterday is to completely miss all the quality and resilience that puts him in position to win time and time again. 💪🏻💪🏻 https://t.co/Ei8VnoBJCA
— Steve Bland (@blandsteve) June 17, 2024
Can't blame him for taking a few weeks off after yesterday. Hope he comes back stronger in a few weeks https://t.co/uMa6Vn4qEj
— Matt Roy (@MattRoy_TV) June 17, 2024
fair enough…. oh I so hope you win The Open https://t.co/0DXSVJjYsX
— Steve Stockman (@Stoxo) June 17, 2024
Maybe people can stop analyzing the video of him driving out of the parking lot like the Zapruder film now. https://t.co/TZ9gdBJgkT
— George Gerbo (@Gerbo3) June 17, 2024
Rory McIlroy is a class act.
I’m a bit surprised he will skip (and be penalized for skipping) a second signature event at the Travelers, but it’s also understandable. https://t.co/10D5GSyVS4— Bill Cooney (@BillCooney) June 17, 2024
