Rory McIlroy believes he can proceed the “theme” of his profession and bounce again shortly from his heartbreaking loss within the US Open at Pinehurst.
McIlroy briefly held a two-shot lead with 5 holes to play however bogeyed three of the final 4, lacking from two ft and 6 inches on the sixteenth and three ft and 9 inches on the final to complete a shot behind Bryson DeChambeau.
It was the 35-year-old’s finest likelihood to win his first main since 2014 and introduced again reminiscences of squandering a four-shot lead within the closing spherical of the 2011 Masters with a closing 80.
McIlroy recovered remarkably shortly to win his first main within the US Open two months later and can hope he can repeat the trick in subsequent week’s Open Championship at Royal Troon.
“I look again on that day [at Pinehurst] similar to I look again on among the hardest moments in my profession and I’ll study loads from it and hopefully put that to good use,” McIlroy mentioned in a pre-tournament press convention forward of his title defence within the Genesis Scottish Open.
“It’s one thing that’s been a little bit of a theme all through my profession, I’ve been in a position to take these robust moments and switch them into nice issues not very lengthy after that.
“It’s been some time since I’ve gained a serious however I felt worse after another losses. I felt worse after Augusta in ’11 and I felt worse after St Andrews [2022 Open]. It was up there with the robust losses however not the hardest.
“The way in which I’d describe Pinehurst on Sunday was it was a fantastic day till it wasn’t.
“I did issues on that Sunday that I haven’t been in a position to do the final couple of years, took management of the golf match, held putts once I wanted to – properly, largely – made birdies and actually bought myself in there.
“It was a troublesome day, it was a troublesome few days after that, however as you get additional away from it taking place you begin to see the positives and all the great belongings you did all through the week.
“There’s learnings in there too. I can vividly bear in mind beginning to really feel a little bit uncomfortable ready for my second putt on 16 and the putt on the final was a very tough putt and I used to be very conscious of the place Bryson was off the tee.
“I knew I needed to hit it actually mushy. If the one again didn’t matter, I’d have hit it firmer. Understanding that Bryson had hit it left off the tee, I simply kind of wished to guarantee that if there was nonetheless an opportunity at a play-off, that it was at the least going to be that.”
McIlroy admitted the course format meant he grew to become too conscious of what DeChambeau was doing within the group behind, and in addition felt that he began taking too lengthy over his pre-shot routine.
“I stewed on what occurred at Pinehurst for a few days, however then, fortunately, I can go residence and have a look at what I’ve achieved within the recreation and kind of really feel OK about myself,” he added.
“It was a fantastic alternative. It handed me by however hopefully once I get that subsequent alternative, it gained’t move me by.
[Troon] is simply one other alternative. I’m taking part in nice golf and it’s one other alternative to see how I can hopefully deal with it higher than I dealt with it a number of weeks in the past.”
McIlroy supplied a staunch defence of caddie Harry Diamond, who got here in for criticism from Tiger Woods’ former coach Hank Haney and former PGA Tour participant and on-course commentator Smylie Kaufman.
“It’s actually unfair,” the Northern Irishman mentioned. “Hank Haney has by no means been in that place. Smylie has been in that place as soon as.
“Simply because Harry isn’t as vocal or loud together with his phrases as different caddies, it doesn’t imply that he doesn’t say something and that he doesn’t do something.
“I simply want that these guys that criticise when issues don’t go my method, they by no means say something good when issues do go my method.
“Somebody mentioned to me as soon as when you would by no means take recommendation from these folks, you’d by no means take their criticisms, both.
Definitely wouldn’t go to Hank Haney for recommendation. I really like Smylie, however I feel I do know what I’m doing, and so does Harry.”
McIlroy additionally insisted he had no regrets about leaving the course with out congratulating DeChambeau in individual or talking to the media, including with a smile: “No offence, you guys have been the least of my worries at that time.”
