PINEHURST NO. 2 on Wednesday called the round a "great day until it wasnt"

PINEHURST NO. 2 on Wednesday called the round a “great day until it wasnt”

**NORTH BERWICK, Scotland** — Over three weeks after his collapse during the final holes of the U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, Rory McIlroy described his final round as a “great day until it wasn’t” during a press conference at the Genesis Scottish Open.

McIlroy’s missed short putts on the 16th and 18th holes helped Bryson DeChambeau secure a 1-stroke victory and win his second U.S. Open title. DeChambeau’s impressive chip shot from a fairway bunker on the 18th set up a par putt that left him at 6 under for the tournament.

“I got over it pretty quickly,” McIlroy said, reflecting on the experience. “The days right after were tough, but I feel like I’ve managed to look at it rationally and constructively, learning from it and taking away what I can. For the most part, it was a great day. I keep telling people, ‘It was a great day until it wasn’t.'”

Ranked No. 2 in the Official World Golf Ranking, McIlroy had a 2-stroke lead after making birdies on the 9th, 10th, 12th, and 13th holes to reach 8 under. However, he fell back to 5 under after bogeys on the 15th, 16th, and 18th. On the 15th, he missed a chance to save par after his tee shot went over the green.

McIlroy recounted feeling uneasy after his first putt on the 16th hole. Waiting for Patrick Cantlay to finish his putt, McIlroy missed a 2½-footer he had been consistently making all season.

“Halfway through the first putt, it seemed like it could be a birdie but then it rolled a foot past the target,” McIlroy said. “After marking it and waiting for Patrick, the greens were challenging, and the situation was intense, requiring careful execution.”

He admitted that his second putt on the 16th was affected by his discomfort, which led him to pull it slightly.

“Probably started it straight, maybe a touch left of center,” McIlroy said. “The green grabbed it, catching the left edge. It wasn’t a terrible putt, but I was definitely feeling some unease.”

On the 18th, McIlroy’s tee shot landed in a difficult spot, and his approach shot came up just short of the green. His subsequent chip left him a 4-foot par attempt, which he missed.

“I left it on the wrong side of the hole,” McIlroy explained. “The putt was very easy, but it still ended up 3 or 4 feet past the hole. I played it with a significant break, and if it had been a match play scenario, I would have approached it differently.”

As he prepares for next week’s Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Course, McIlroy carries the weight of nearly a decade without a major win. He has not competed since the U.S. Open, withdrawing from the Travelers Championship and spending a few days in New York.

“Achievement in the game helps cushion the blow,” McIlroy said. “Although it’s been a while since my last major win, I’ve experienced worse losses in my career, such as at Augusta in 2011 and St Andrews in 2022. It was a tough loss, but not the toughest.”

McIlroy aims to rebound at the Scottish Open, where last year he finished with a birdie on the final two holes to secure a 15-under total, one stroke ahead of Robert MacIntyre.

“Looking back on tough moments in my career, I hope to use what I’ve learned to achieve great things,” McIlroy said. “This has been a recurring theme throughout my career, turning tough experiences into successes soon after.”