After US Open meltdown, Rory McIlroy withdraws from Travelers Championship
One day after blowing a two-shot lead with five holes to play and storming off the course at the US Open without congratulating the victorious Bryson DeChambeau, Rory McIlroy announced on social media that he was withdrawing from the Travelers Championship.
“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 posted on X. “See you in Scotland.”
McIlroy missed a three-foot putt on the 18th hole, and another short putt on the 16th, as part of a late collapse that cost him what would have been his first major victory since 2014. He hadn’t missed a putt within three feet in nearly 500 tries this season before those misses. The late meltdown ensured his 11th top-five finish in a major without winning since his last title, at the PGA Championship ten years ago.
“Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I’ve had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer,” McIlroy wrote. “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 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.”
The 34-year-old McIlroy has made five career starts at the Travelers, including each of the last two seasons. He finished tied for seventh last year, though he claimed technology had “passed the course by” as low scores filled up the leaderboard. McIlroy finished 18-under on the week, five shots back of champion Keegan Bradley.
McIlroy is currently the No. 2 ranked player in the Official World Golf Rankings.
