Rory McIlroy says he wandered around Recent York to forget the “awkward” end to the US Open

NORTH BERWICK, Scotland – In the times following his heartbreaking end on the U.S. Open, Rory McIlroy placed on his headphones and wandered the streets of Manhattan and along the High Line to attempt to mingle and process what had happened in Pinehurst.

The 35-year-old McIlroy narrowly missed two short par putts on the last three holes, giving up the 69-hole result in eventual champion Bryson DeChambeau. The Northern Irishman quickly drove off without chatting with the media and cancelled his commitment to next week's tournament. He spoke in regards to the difficult finish for the primary time at his press conference on Wednesday before the Scottish Open.

“It was a great day until it wasn’t,” McIlroy said.

McIlroy said he spent most of Sunday feeling just like the version of himself he desires to be again in major championships. He made difficult putts. He took control of the tournament, entering the fifteenth hole two shots ahead of DeChambeau. He then bogeyed the difficult fifteenth hole and left himself a four-foot putt on the sixteenth.

“I remember feeling a little uncomfortable waiting for my second putt on 16,” McIlroy said.

He also acknowledged that due to the way in which Pinehurst was run, he all the time knew where DeChambeau's ball was one group behind him. “It took me out of my own little world a little bit,” he said. He then had to attend longer for the par putt while playing partner Patrick Cantlay played his shot. “And he can take his time,” McIlroy joked with a smile. He missed the putt and ended up with a bogey.

“When you're standing there, it's hard not to think about the future or notice before Bryson's ball is on the fairway or something like that,” he said. “But again, it's on me to make sure I'm in the right frame of mind. I hit a decent putt on hole 16, the green caught it … I probably just launched it, maybe a little left of center, and the green caught it and it hit the left edge. (It) wasn't a terrible putt, but I definitely felt a little uncomfortable before I hit it.”

On the 18th hole, McIlroy had a tough, fast-breaking three-foot par putt that, in hindsight, could have sent the US Open right into a playoff. McIlroy again admitted that DeChambeau's play influenced his decisions. Knowing that DeChambeau's ball was technique to the left of the green, there was still a likelihood that the American would make bogey and McIlroy would two-putt into the playoff. McIlroy said he needed to be careful to not make the second putt too difficult.

“I knew I had to hit him very gently,” he added. “If the return hadn't been important, I would have hit him harder.”

McIlroy missed the putt and DeChambeau made par after a difficult bunker shot to win the tournament. The next day, McIlroy canceled his participation within the Travelers Championship in Connecticut, but since he had planned a stopover in Manhattan beforehand, he stuck with the trip and used it to refuel.

He walked around town and called people he trusted. Otherwise, he was alone together with his thoughts and located things he desired to work on in the long run. Within a couple of days, he was turning his thoughts to the long run.

“When I look back on this day, like I look back on some of the toughest moments of my career, I'll learn a lot from it and hopefully put it to good use,” McIlroy said. “It's a pattern that's been throughout my career. I've been able to take those tough moments and turn them into great things not long after.”

Finally, McIlroy was asked if he regretted not chatting with the media after the round. He didn't. “No offense,” McIlroy said with a smile, “you guys were the least of my worries at that point.”