After squandering a late lead over Bryson DeChambeau at the U.S. Open, Rory McIlroy called Sunday “probably the toughest” day of his professional golf career in a social media post Monday evening.
The Northern Irishman bogeyed three of his final four holes, letting DeChambeau win with a par save at the 72nd hole at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina. McIlroy missed two par putts from inside 5 feet at the 16th and 18th holes.
McIlroy left the course minutes after DeChambeau beat him by one stroke to win the championship. The four-time major champ, who was vying to end a 10-year major drought, was roundly criticized for not meeting with the press after his round.
“Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I’ve had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer,” McIlroy wrote Monday.
“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.”
Sunday marked the second straight year that McIlroy finished as the U.S. Open runner-up. He lost to Wyndham Clark by one stroke in 2023 at Los Angeles Country Club.
McIlroy, 35, has not won a major since August 2014, when he secured his second PGA Championship.
His next three chances to end his dry spell are at next month’s Open Championship at Royal Troon in Scotland; the 2025 Masters, the only major he has yet to win in his career; and the 2025 PGA Championship at Quail Hollow, a course where he’s won four PGA Tour events.
“The one word that I would describe my career as is resilient,” McIlroy wrote Monday. “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. See you in Scotland.”
–Field Level Media