Rory McIlroy has described his US Open collapse on Sunday as ‘probably the toughest’ day of his career and has withdrawn from this week’s Travelers Championship in Connecticut.
Holding a two-shot lead, McIlroy carded three bogeys across the final five holes – missing two putts from a combined distance of seven feet. He fled the course a matter of minutes after Bryson DeChambeau wrapped up victory.
In a statement on social media on Monday, McIlroy said: ‘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 defense of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon.’
The Scottish Open is held on July 11, meaning McIlroy has nearly a month until his next competition.
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