Rory McIlroy had to step away from golf after his tough loss at the US Open, which Bryson DeChambeau won.
He got lots of support after his collapse, where he bogeyed three of the last four holes and missed short putts on No.16 and No.18 before leaving Pinehurst quickly.
One message came from Tiger Woods, but Rory didn’t get it because he changed his number right after the loss .
McIlroy shared at The Open in Troon that he accidentally ignored Tiger’s message. “I blanked Tiger Woods, which is probably not a good thing,” he said. “I changed my number two days after the US Open, so I didn’t get it until today when he told me about it.”
Tiger has always been supportive throughout Rory’s career. He sent an amazing message after St Andrews in 2022 too. They met when Rory was 15 and have built a strong relationship since then.
Support and Changes:
Rory appreciated Tiger reaching out even if it was delayed due to the number change. “It means a lot that he waited a few days to reach out,” Rory added.
Fans might think it’s sweet how much these messages mean to him.
After losing to DeChambeau, Rory felt overwhelmed by media texts and decided to change his number for some peace. He explained: “From Pinehurst to home on Sunday night, I got about 10 or 15 texts from media members.”
But despite changing his number for space, he likes getting supportive messages: “It’s lovely when people reach out with encouragement.”
Returning to action at the Scottish Open last week, McIlroy tied fourth in defending his title there. Now he’s aiming to end his Major drought that started a decade ago at Pinehurst.
Since winning The Open in 2014 at Royal Liverpool, he’s had five top tens in seven appearances but finds adjusting back from PGA Tour tricky: “My natural game suits big American courses more,” he admitted.
However, he’s improved adapting over time: “I’ve gotten better hitting shots needed on links courses.” Playing Scottish Open helped him adjust back: “It’s important refamiliarizing with turf types and wind effects.”
What do you think about Rory’s chances this year?
