Rory McIlroy Taking ‘Few Weeks Away’ From Golf After US Open Disaster

Rory McIlroy is taking a break from golf after his disastrous final three holes at the U.S. Open Championship. 

“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,” McIlroy wrote via X on Monday, June 17. “See you in Scotland ✌️.”

During his final round at Pinehurst Country Club on Sunday, June 16, McIlroy, 35, missed short putts on the 16th and 18th holes, paving the way for Bryson DeChambeau to win the tournament by one stroke. McIroy finished alone in second place. 

McIlroy called it “probably the toughest day I’ve had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer.”

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“I’d like to congratulate Bryson,” McIlroy wrote. “He is a worthy champion and exactly what professional golf needs right now. I think we can all agree on that.”

McIlroy admitted he will “rue a few things” from the tournament, most notably the two missed putts. But he managed to take away some positives from the weekend.

“As I said at the start of the tournament, I feel closer to winning my next major championship than I ever have,” he wrote. “The one word that I would describe my career as is resilient. I’ve shown resilience over and over again in the last 17 years and I will again.”

McIlroy has not won a major title since the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla. 

While his performance on the course, and the greens in particular, was one thing, McIlroy continued to make headlines after his round was completed. 

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As soon as DeChambeau emerged victorious, McIlroy sped out of the course and refused to speak to the media. His reluctance to show his face during the agony of defeat did not sit well with some, including ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt. 

“Now, Rory is one of my very favorite people in the sport for a lot of different reasons,” Van Pelt said on Sportscenter Sunday night. “One, he’s a thinker and he answers things thoughtfully. He’s also a great champion. And today, understandably, a bitter pill. A chance to end this major-less drought, and it slips away as it did.”

Van Pelt continued, “How it got away on this Sunday and the fact that he walked away without speaking about it will both be remembered.”

McIlroy has also been in the headlines for his personal life, filing for divorce from wife Erica Stoll in May, only to call off the split and withdraw the paperwork days before the U.S. Open.

Per his statement, McIlroy is set to return to action at the Genesis Scottish Open, which tees off July 11.