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Mark Schlabach, ESPN Senior Writer
After enduring one painful collapse in the final round of the US Open on Sunday at No. 2 Pinehurst, the four-time major champion Rory McIlroy said in one statement about X on Monday, he will take a few weeks off to “process everything and rebuild himself.”
McIlroy is scheduled to compete in this week’s Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut – the final feature event of the season. He said in the statement that he will not play again until next month’s Genesis Scottish Open, which he won in 2023, and The Open at Royal Troon Golf Course in Scotland.
McIlroy, who is looking to end a nearly 10-year drought without a major championship, held a two-stroke lead with five holes to play in the US Open on Sunday. But he bogeyed three of the last four holes, missing a 2½-foot putt for par on the 16th and a 3-foot, 9-inch putt for par on the 18th.
Bryson DeChambeau won his second US Open title when he shot from a fairway bunker onto the 18th green and made a par putt to finish at 6 under – 1 stroke ahead of McIlroy.
McIlroy watched DeChambeau’s winning putt on TV in the scorer’s box at Pinehurst No. 2. He left the course less than 10 minutes later without talking to the media.
“First, I want to congratulate Bryson,” McIlroy said in the statement. “He is a worthy champion and exactly what the professional golf world needs right now. I think we can all agree on that.”
McIlroy said he will “regret a few things throughout the tournament,” mainly his missed shots on Nos. 16 and 18.
“However, as I always try to do, I will look at the positives of the week that far outweigh the negatives,” McIlroy said. “As I said at the start of the tournament, I feel closer to winning the next major championship than ever before. One word I use to describe my career is resilience. I showed my resilience many times in the last match. 17 years and I’ll be the same again.”
McIlroy’s last major championship victory was in August 2014 at the PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky. Since then, he has had 20 top-10 finishes in the majors, including nine top-five finishes.
This isn’t the first time McIlroy has rested after a disappointing finish. After missing his chance at the 2023 Masters, a tournament in which McIlroy failed to win the green jacket for the ninth consecutive time and complete the career Grand Slam, he skipped the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, the following week.
This was McIlroy’s second missed signature event of the 2022-23 season, costing him $3 million of his $12 million Player Impact Program bonus from 2022.
It was also a tumultuous time for McIlroy when he had to take time off from playing. On May 14, McIlroy filed for divorce from his wife, Erica, in family court in Palm Beach County, Florida. On June 11, McIlroy’s lawyer filed a voluntary motion to dismiss the divorce petition. McIlroy told The Guardian of London that he has reconciled with his wife.
After Sunday’s conclusion, other PGA Tour golfers came to McIlroy’s defense. Shane Lowry, who paired with McIlroy to win the Zurich Classic team event in New Orleans earlier this season, wrote on X on Monday: “From the outside looking in… this game is easy. But in reality, this is the worst game. We are very lucky to get what we do from this game but in the last 24 hours , it affected me. We did it not only for ourselves but also for our family, friends and fans. What Rory went through was as difficult as it was in the game our game but I want to encourage everyone to be kind if anything.”
Responding to McIlroy’s statement, Billy Horschel, who spoke about his own struggles at the 2023 Memorial, called McIlroy “The greatest player of my generation” and said there will be more more specialized in the future on his Instagram account.
