After his bitter defeat at the US Open, Rory McIlroy announced that he would be taking a break for a few weeks. He will only return to the public eye for the Genesis Scottish Open and the subsequent Open Championship, according to a statement published by the Northern Irishman on X (formerly Twitter). This week, Rory McIlroy is on the entry list and will attempt to defend the title he won at last year’s Genesis Scottish Open. In the press conference before the start of the tournament, he talks about how he has dealt with the US Open and what comes next for him.
Rory McIlroy: First interview after his defeat at the US Open
Question: They just took a hammer and chisel a little bit to the “L.” Obviously first time we’ve had a chance to speak to you since Pinehurst. Can you put into words the actions and emotions of that final round, if you can, please?
Rory McIlroy: I think the way I’ve described Pinehurst on Sunday was like it was a great day until it wasn’t. I did things on that Sunday that I haven’t been able to do in the last couple years. Took control of the golf tournament. Held putts when I needed to. Well, mostly when I needed to. Made birdies. You know, really got myself in there. And then, look, obviously unfortunately to miss those last two putts, or the putt on 16 and obviously the putt on 18.
Yeah, it was a tough day. It was a tough few days after that, obviously. But I think as you get further away from it happening, you start to see the positives and you start to see all the good things that you did throughout the week. […]
Thinking back, yeah, maybe I was a little too aware of where Bryson was and what he was doing but it was the nature of the golf course and how the golf course flowed. After the 14th tee, you’re sort of looking at 13 green, and then I had to wait on my tee shot on 15 before he hit, or you know, to let him hit his second shot into 14. Just the way the course flowed, it just made me very aware of what he was doing at the same time. So it sort of got me out of my own little world a little bit.”
Question: And next time when you’re in that kind of position at a major on the back nine, who knows, it could be Troon next week, what do you think you would do differently or seek to do differently?
Rory McIlroy: Well, that’s the thing. Not a whole lot different. As I said, it was a great day until it wasn’t. I think I touched on it a little bit. I think if anything, I’d say my pre-shot routine got a little bit long. Started to look at the target a few more times over the ball.
And then, you know, as I said, like being very aware of what maybe some others were doing on the golf course and not really staying in my own little world for the whole 18 holes.
But really, apart from that, there’s not a lot I would do differently.
Confidence ahead of the Scottish Open: “I’m playing great golf”
Question: That point I made about a shot at redemption, is that how you look at it next week?
Rory McIlroy: It’s just another opportunity. I’m playing great golf and it’s another opportunity to see how I can hopefully handle it better than I handled it a few weeks ago.
Question: Last year, it was a remarkable birdie, birdie finish. Can you just take us back to those moments and what you remember of winning?
Rory McIlroy: Yeah, you know it was obviously a really windy day, and you know I felt like Bob he played a much tougher back nine than me with everything that was on the line but trying to win your home open and all that.
I made a couple of good putts on the back nine. I didn’t make birdie on 16 and felt like that was sort of my opportunity gone. And then to finish two, three like I did. You know, everyone talks about the 2-iron at the last but the 5-iron I hit into 17 was just as good a shot if not a little bit better.
Yeah, to hit two iron shots like that and to hole the putts what I needed to, yeah, it was awesome. Sort of I felt in some ways bad that it came at the expense of Bob but at the same time it was amazing to win a tournament that I had never won before.
Yeah, good memories and good to be back.