Rory McIlroy has decided to withdraw from this week’s Travelers Championship following what he described as “probably the toughest” day of his career.
After a crushing finish at Pinehurst No. 2, where McIlroy led the U.S. Open on the back nine before bogeying three of his final four holes, the golfer announced via social media his need to take a break.
“I’m going to take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up for my defense at the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon,” McIlroy posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
After missing important par putts on the 16th and 18th holes, McIlroy fell just one shot behind Bryson DeChambeau. In discussing his performance, he acknowledged that “Yesterday was a challenging day – arguably my toughest in nearly two decades as a professional golfer. As I look back at this week’s tournament, there are several decisions that I’ll regret; however, most notably were those crucial missed putts on the final day.”
Despite his disappointment, McIlroy extended his congratulations to DeChambeau, acknowledging him as a “worthy champion” and a positive force for professional golf.
Despite being a $20 million PGA Tour signature event, the Travelers Championship will go ahead sans McIlroy due to his decision to skip this non-compulsory competition. Therefore, he is currently directing all his attention towards getting ready for his title defense at North Berwick’s Scottish Open scheduled from July 11th-14th where he emerged victorious in the previous year.
Fans will eagerly await McIlroy’s return to form as he gears up for the upcoming majors, hoping to rebound from his recent setback and reclaim his status at the top of professional golf.
