Rory McIlroy has said he is going to take “a few weeks away from the game to process everything” after throwing away the chance to win his first major in a decade at last week’s US Open.
The 35-year-old missed two putts inside three feet over the final three holes at Pinehurst on Sunday resulting in him finishing one shot behind winner Bryson DeChambeau.
The Northern Irishman left Pinehurst just minutes after DeChambeau holed the winning putt, leading many to criticise him for not staying to congratulate the new champion in person.
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.”
“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 defence of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon. See you in Scotland.”
The Genesis Scottish Open is being held at the Renaissance Club in East Lothian from July 11-14.