Rory McIlroy to 'take a few weeks away' from golf after US Open collapse which he describes as his 'toughest day as a professional'

Rory McIlroy has commented for the first time since his US Open final-round heartbreak, tweeting he will take a few weeks away from the game after his ‘toughest day as a professional golfer’.

McIlroy bogeyed three of his final four holes at Pinehurst No 2 on Sunday as he finished second at a major for the fourth time since winning the PGA Championship in 2014.

Having led by two shots at one point, McIlroy missed two par putts from inside four feet over the closing stretch as Bryson DeChambeau ultimately claimed the title by one stroke.

McIlroy posted on X on Monday evening: “Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I’ve had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer.

“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 try to 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.

“I’m going to take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up for my defence of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon. See you in Scotland.”

The former world No 1 now has 21 top-10s in majors since his 2014 victory at Valhalla, which is more than any other player in that period.