Rory McIlroy was clearly frustrated after facing Bryson DeChambeau at the US Open on Sunday, and he posted the weekend’s events on Monday.
His statement praised DeChambeau as an outstanding champion, but also acknowledged that the fourth round of the tournament was the “toughest” day of his professional golf career.
“Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest day I’ve had in almost 17 years as a professional golfer,” he said in a statement. “First of all, I want to congratulate Bryson. He is a worthy champion and exactly what professional golf needs right now. I think we can all agree on that.”
He continued to reflect on the tournament, also saying he plans to take a few weeks off from golf to “process everything.
McIlroy has withdrawn from the Travelers Championship and will not play again until the Scottish Open.
McIlroy played strong for much of the weekend, opening the tournament with a five-under 65. He finished the weekend at five-under, but it wasn’t enough to beat DeChambeau. who finished sixth and won his second US Open.
McIlroy’s meltdown came in the fourth round when he missed a pair of putts that ultimately cost him victory. He led the field at the 16th hole before missing a par putt that dropped his score to six under, moving him into a tie with DeChambeau.
DeChambeau’s defense just got unlucky when McIlroy missed the cut. He managed to hit a stunning putt from the bunker on the 18th hole, leaving him one short of his eventual victory over Putin.
For McIlroy, bad back surgery and a big win led to the most frustrating weekend in 10 years. Shortly after DeChambeau’s win, McIlroy was seen quickly leaving the clubhouse.
But as he said in his statement, McIlroy feels he is closer than ever to winning his next major, and he will have a chance to do so at The Open Championship next month..
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