After losing the U.S. Open by one stroke to Bryson DeChambeau on Sunday, the Irish golfer Rory McIlroy was seen storming out of Pinehurst No. 2. The title slipped through McIlroy’s fingers after he bogeyed three of his final four holes.
McIlroy has been widely criticized for driving off the course as soon as he lost. Now, however, the golf influencer Paige Spiranac is speaking out to defend him.
Spiranac Defends McIlroy
“Hot take but I don’t care when athletes do this,” Spiranac wrote on social media alongside a video of McIlroy’s vehicle driving away from the course. “He gave us everything he had on the course and gave us such an entertaining day.”
“I feel for Rory right now and can’t even imagine how he’s feeling,” she added. “Cut him a break.”
McIlroy’s Heartbreaking Loss
The loss was particularly devastating to McIlroy because he is inching closer to ten years since he’s won a big title. His last major win came at the PGA Championship in August of 2014.
Daily Mail reported that with five holes left to play, McIlroy was leading by two shots. With the tournament seemingly in the bag for him, McIlroy crumbled in the last few holes. Specifically, he shockingly missed from two feet and six inches for par on the 16th hole. He then missed from less than four feet on the 18th hole.
Afterwards, McIlroy remained silent until Monday night, when he spoke out to give some insight into his feelings in the wake of this loss.
“Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I’ve had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer,” he wrote on social media.
Related: ESPN’s Scott Van Pelt Slams Rory McIlroy for Bailing Out After U.S. Open Meltdown
McIlroy Gets Reflective
McIlroy went on to congratulate DeChambeau as a “worthy champion” before getting reflective.
“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,” he wrote. “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,” McIlroy continued. “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.”
Related: Rory McIlroy Decides To Lay Up: In Stunning Reverse, Calls Off Divorce From Wife Erica Stoll
McIlroy’s Next Events
In the wake of this heartbreaking loss, McIlroy has pulled out of next week’s PGA Tour event, the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, according to Fox News. He’s also pulled out of the Rocket Mortgage Classic at Detroit Golf Club and the John Deere Classic at TPC Deere Run in Illinois.
McIlroy has instead decided to head overseas to compete in the Genesis Scottish Open. This will be his preparation for season’s final major championship, The Open at Royal Troon, which begins next month.
McIlroy explained that he wants to “take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up” before he competes at these events.
This is clearly a very difficult time for McIlroy. While he perhaps could have handled his U.S. Open loss better in the moment, Spiranac may have a point that he deserves a break after such a devastating defeat.
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