Rory McIlroy has finally broken his silence following a disappointing collapse at the U.S. Open.
McIlroy played well all week at Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst, N.C., but he finished one back of winner Bryson DeChambeau on Sunday. McIlroy likely would have won the tournament (and his fifth major) if not for two brutal missed short putts in the final three holes.
After choking away what would have been his second U.S. Open victory, McIlroy declined an interview request with NBC. A video also showed him quickly leaving the course without speaking with the media.
On Monday, McIlroy issued a statement on social media expressing disappointment over the way his week came to an end at Pinehurst. He also said he is “going to take a few weeks away from the game to process everything.”
McIlroy has struggled with his putting in recent years, which is one of the primary reasons it has been a decade since he last won a major. He appeared to have the putter working throughout much of his final round at Pinehurst, but that part of his game failed him once again when it mattered.
The U.S. Open win was the second for DeChambeau, who had a classy message about McIlroy after the tournament.