Rory McIlroy is still seeking his first major championship title in nearly a decade after narrowly missing out on the US Open in June.
Rory McIlroy has confessed he may have made a mistake by not addressing the media after his agonising US Open defeat, where he missed out on his first major win in a decade.
The Northern Irish golfer came very close to ending his decade-long drought as he led the tournament with just five holes to go on hole No. 2 at Pinehurst in June. However, by missing two short putts on his final three holes, Bryson DeChambeau claimed victory in a thrilling conclusion to the event in North Carolina.
In his quest for a fifth major title (his last being the PGA Championship in 2014), the golfer has his sights set on the Open at Royal Troon, hoping to end his wait. Now, the 35-year-old has taken some time to reflect on the US Open and has shared some insights into his mindset during his trip to Scotland.
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Reflecting on the aftermath of his disappointing result at Pinehurst, he acknowledged that his decision to avoid the media might have been ill-advised. He told the Guardian: “Maybe the only downside to not talking[to the media]afterwards was that I had three weeks of speculation.”
“I should have done this, I should have done that, but we’ll never know because he didn’t say it. I trust the people around me. I don’t need to seek outside advice. If the tournament ended after 68 holes, people would call me the best golfer in the world.”
Despite a hint of regret, McIlroy is brimming with optimism as he sets his sights on winning the Open, ten years on from his victory at Royal Liverpool. He shared his positive outlook, saying: “You have to be an eternal optimist. Let’s say you play 25 tournaments a year and you win three of them. You’re one of the greatest players ever. We lose a lot more than we win.”
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Reflecting on past disappointments, McIlroy kept a balanced perspective, saying: “Yes, I was in a great winning position and I should have won, but it’s not the first time I’ve let something slip away,” acknowledging the ups and downs of his career. “It probably won’t be the last. You have to look at it as an ongoing process. It was tough, but it’s a tournament.”
With a busy schedule, he stressed resilience: “I play between 23 and 25 games a year. You have to keep going. The good thing about this game is that you get the chance to get back on track after a tough loss. You try to learn from it and do better next time.”
Having come close to winning the title before, McIlroy commented on his approach: “I just took the initiative. I was less indecisive and played more freely. I was more assertive, not so passive. At this point, I’d rather lose trying to win than lose trying not to lose. I haven’t been this assertive in the last two years at the biggest tournaments.”
