Why McIlroy won’t regret Bryson snub after meltdown

Rory McIlroy’s return to his own focused state came a few days too late after a devastating loss at the US Open. In the immediate aftermath of a tournament where he missed two critical putts from within three feet, McIlroy embarked on a planned trip to Manhattan. There, he found some solace walking the High Line, blending into the crowd of America’s busiest city.

“Alone with my thoughts for a couple days, which was good,” McIlroy said at the Genesis Scottish Open, marking his first appearance since the painful loss at Pinehurst No.2. “They were hard, but at the same time, as each day went by it became easier to focus on the positives and then to think about the future instead of what had just happened.”

What happened at the US Open was hard to forget. McIlroy missed a par putt from 30 inches on the 16th hole in the final round and then missed another crucial putt from just inside four feet on the 18th. These mistakes allowed Bryson DeChambeau to win another US Open, while McIlroy extended his decade-long drought without a major victory. He attributed the errors to losing concentration in the final hour, as he became overly aware of DeChambeau’s performance. Even as he stood over the tough putt on the 18th, he found himself wondering if DeChambeau would make par from the rough. McIlroy admitted that he hit the putt too softly, trying to avoid a disastrous miss.

“It sort of got me out of my own little world a little bit,” McIlroy said.

Despite the setback, McIlroy is back at work, aiming to defend his title at the Scottish Open. Last year, he made a memorable 2-iron shot from 201 yards into a fierce wind to set up a birdie and deny Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre the victory. Looking ahead, McIlroy sees the upcoming British Open at Royal Troon as another chance to win his first major in ten years, rather than an opportunity for redemption.

The US Open defeat was painful, but McIlroy insists he has faced tougher losses. He recalled weeping in a cart after missing a significant chance at St Andrews in 2022, when Cameron Smith shot a 64 to win. He also referenced the 2011 Masters, where he lost a four-shot lead with an 80 in the final round, a loss that stings because it remains the only major he hasn’t won.

“It was up there with the tough losses, but not the toughest,” he said.

McIlroy does not regret his swift departure from Pinehurst after DeChambeau’s remarkable bunker shot on the 18th set up his victory. McIlroy avoided speaking to the media, driving away from Pinehurst as quickly as possible.

“There’s nothing that I could have said. It would have been good because you guys would have been able to write something about it or have a few quotes from me,” McIlroy said. “No offense. You guys were the least of my worries.”

Reflecting on the final round, McIlroy described it as “a great day until it wasn’t.” He identified the 30-inch putt on the 16th as the turning point, noting that it was a more routine shot compared to the challenging putt on the 18th. He admitted that maintaining focus was difficult, given the unfolding drama.

“You stand there, it’s hard not to either start thinking about the future or notice before Bryson’s ball is in the fairway or that sort of stuff,” he said. “But again, that’s on me to make sure that I’m in the right head space.”

McIlroy acknowledged that while the putt wasn’t terrible, the timing of the miss was disastrous. It cost him a one-shot lead, and the subsequent bogey, coupled with DeChambeau’s par save, sealed his fate.

Despite the setback, McIlroy hopes to channel his ability to bounce back, as he did after losing a big lead at the 2011 Masters, only to win his first major at the US Open two months later. With two weeks in Scotland, including the British Open at Royal Troon, and the Olympics a month away, McIlroy is focused on moving forward.

“When I look back on that day, just like I look back on some of my toughest moments in my career, I’ll learn a lot from it and I’ll hopefully put that to good use,” he said. “It’s something that’s been a bit of a theme throughout my career. I’ve been able to take those tough moments and turn them into great things not very long after that.”