Rory McIlroy addressed the media today at the Genesis Scottish Open for the first time since his dramatic exit following his defeat at the US Open at Pinehurst No.2 last month. The Northern Irish golfer, who has been out of the spotlight for a few weeks, is now focused on winning his fifth Major title at Royal Troon next week. Reflecting on his recent loss, McIlroy shared his thoughts on the final moments of the tournament.
Speaking about his missed putt on Pinehurst’s 18th hole, McIlroy said, “The putt on the last was really tricky. I was very aware of where Bryson was off the tee and knew I had to hit it really soft. If the one back didn’t matter, I would have hit it firmer. But I was in two minds because I didn’t know if Bryson would make a par or not. I had to make sure that if the putt didn’t go in, it wouldn’t go ten feet by, which it easily could have.”
McIlroy continued, “I just left the chip shot on the wrong side of the hole. It ended up above the hole, where it was dry and crusty around the cup. The chip ran out a bit and got past the hole. I hit that putt very easy, but it missed on the low side and still went three or four feet by.”
Describing the putt, he said, “I was probably playing it two, two and a half cups left, maybe a three-and-a-half-foot putt. There was a lot of swing to it, especially with how easy I was hitting it. If it was match play and the next one didn’t matter, I would have approached it differently. But knowing Bryson had hit it left off the tee, I wanted to make sure that if there was still a chance at a playoff, it would remain possible.”
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Reflecting on the overall experience at Pinehurst, McIlroy said, “It was a great day until it wasn’t. I did things on that Sunday that I haven’t been able to do in a couple of years. As you get further away from it happening, you start to see the positives.”
As McIlroy gears up for the upcoming major at Royal Troon, he aims to use the lessons from Pinehurst to bounce back stronger and reclaim his winning form.