Rory McIlroy to take a break from golf after US Open calamity

Rory McIlroy said he will be taking a break from golf following his US Open meltdown - and has belatedly congratulated Bryson DeChambeau for pipping him at Pinehurst.

The Northern Irishman was in position to end a decade-long hunt for his fifth major on Sunday but threw it away with three bogeys in his final four holes, including two where he missed putts inside of four feet, and lost to DeChambeau by one stroke.

The moment DeChambeau’s winning putt dropped in the cup, a shell-shocked McIlroy stormed directly to his courtesy car and left the site of the most agonising loss of his career and fourth runner-up finish in a major.

McIlroy was widely criticised for failing to acknowledge DeChambeau but on Monday night he wrote on X: “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.”

McIlroy found support in the shape of Shane Lowry, who bounced back from the “lowest point” of his career with a fine closing 69 on Sunday. Lowry crashed to a career-worst 85 in the final round of the Memorial Tournament earlier this month but bounced back to achieve a top-20 finish at the US Open.

Lowry said: “From the outside looking in … this game is easy. But in reality it’s the worst game of all. We are very fortunate to get what we do from this game but over the last 24 hours it’s hit me. We do it for not only ourselves but for our family, friends and fans.

“What Rory has gone through is as tough as it gets in our game but I would like to encourage people if anything please be kind.”

McIlroy’s latest major heartbreak can fuel a strong Open challenge next month, according to a leading coach on the mental side of the game.

Six-time major winner Sir Nick Faldo said the late collapse could “haunt” McIlroy for a long time but performance coach Jon Adler, of ‘Golf is a Mind Game’, believes positive results can come from it.

Adler said: “Obviously he was feeling distraught. It’s going to take a little bit of time to get over because it stings, and when you’ve had an experience of fear - being frightened of missing because it’s such a short putt, you’re supposed to be making it - it’s not nice, especially when it gets the better of you.

“But every golfer has had experiences like that and sometimes you can get a lot of strength from that. The fear is almost like a bully. Once you’ve been punched on the nose the next time you’re not quite as scared. You’re like, ‘Well, I’ve had the worst. I’ve dealt with the worst that can happen to me’.

“I heard Faldo saying he’s going to be wrecked forever from this but I’m not so sure. I certainly hope not. I remember when Rory crashed and burned at the Masters years ago, when he was young. He won the next major after that.

“From adversity often comes a new strength. It’s from the setbacks that often the great players emerge and I think Rory’s shown he’s got that in his locker, and he’s obviously got the talent and skill. It’s going to be a bitter pill for him to swallow for a while but he’s shown he can bounce back before. I’d have a little bet on him for the Open.”

‘McIlroy succumbed to the pressure’

McIlroy’s final chance to add a fifth major to his tally this year will come at Troon from July 18-21.

Adler said: “It’s all about being able to let go when you really need to and trust yourself and clear your mind, and see it as an opportunity as opposed to something you might regret.

“That little putt was an opportunity for Rory and unfortunately it got away. But I’m sure, if you take it in context, he’ll bounce back. I really do think he will.”

According to tracking site radaratlas2, McIlroy’s private plane was in the air 53 minutes after DeChambeau’s brilliant par save on the 18th secured his second US Open title. McIlroy is the first player to finish in the top 10 at six consecutive US Opens since Jack Nicklaus from 1977-82 and the first to do so without winning any of them since Jack Hobens from 1905-10.

“Nobody’s had more pressure on him over the last 10 years,” McIlroy’s putting coach Brad Faxon said on Golf Channel.

“Everybody in the world knows he hasn’t won a major since 2014. I think it’s the way this happened; the short missed putts there on 16, certainly on 18. I don’t know how you get through this thing. It’s really tough.”

Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley added: “That element of doubt came in. He started backing away, which he never does. He took a little more time over the putts, which he never does. That’s pressure and he succumbed to it.

”(It’s) a devastating loss for any player, not just Rory. It’s absolutely devastating. Rory has faltered coming down the stretch.”