Rory McIlroy Breaks Silence After U.S. Open Heartbreak, Says He’s Stepping Away from Golf

Rory McIlroy has broken his silence after a soul-crushing final round at the U.S. Open yesterday, and said he will take some time away from the game “to process everything and build myself back up.”

McIlroy showed up this past weekend at Pinehurst No. 2 in search of his first Major Championship in ten years, and found himself in a position to walk away with the title with just five holes to play.

However, McIlroy missed two short putts inside of three feet on holes 16 and 18, which ultimately led to his defeat at the hands of Bryson DeCheambeau by one stroke.

I feel so bad pic.twitter.com/1t5887eF4A

— Rory McIlroy Tracker (@RMTracker) June 16, 2024

McIlroy finally made a statement after leaving Pinehurst almost immediately after DeChambeau’s final putt dropped, and was back on a private jet and on his way to his home in Florida before the U.S. Open Champ had even addressed the media:

“Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest l’ve had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer. Firstly, l’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.

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.

I’m going to take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up for my defense of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon.

See you in Scotland.”

McIlroy will attempt to win his next Major at Royal Troon at the Open Championship in Scotland next month. He will miss the Travelers Championship next week, an elevated event.

Cover Image via Golfweek