Rory McIlroy Taking 'Few Weeks Away' From Golf After U.S. Open Meltdown

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PGA Tour star Rory McIlroy absolutely choked away the U.S. Open in brutal fashion on Sunday afternoon at Pinehurst. He missed two putts inside four feet in the final two holes, losing by one shot to Bryson DeChambeau. 

McIlroy dodged the media after the round, quickly jumping into a car and leaving the golf course after DeChambeau buried a short par putt on the final hole to clinch the championship. 

It turns out, McIlroy isn't quite done dodging his responsibilities. McIlroy was scheduled to play in the Travelers Championship this week, the final signature event on the PGA Tour schedule for 2024. 

However, he announced via social media on Monday that he is taking a "few weeks away" from golf. 

After blowing the U.S. Open with two short missed putts, Rory McIlroy is taking some time away from golf and skipping the Travelers Championship.

After blowing the U.S. Open with two short missed putts, Rory McIlroy is taking some time away from golf and skipping the Travelers Championship.

(Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

He says that he is not playing until the Genesis Scottish Open, a tournament he won in 2023, and then will contend at the Open Championship the following week. 

It'll be interesting to see if the PGA Tour delivers any consequences for McIlroy's actions. This isn't the first time he skipped out on a tournament that he was supposed to play. 

Last season, after missing the cut at the Masters, McIlroy bailed on the RBC Heritage the following week. It cost him a $3 million bonus, but McIlroy isn't concerned about money; he's got plenty of that. 

The entire point of the PGA Tour implementing signature events is to make sure that the best players on the tour play certain tournaments. 

READ: Former Tennessee Vols Pitcher Wins $1 Million Off Bryson DeChambeau's U.S. Open Victory

For golf fans in the northeast, like myself, the Travelers Championship is the best (really only) opportunity to see the best players on the PGA Tour. For people who have tickets to the Travelers Championship, like myself, this is a very frustrating development. 

I understand that McIlroy is upset, but he needs to get over it. Ducking the media and then bailing on the following week's tournament after choking away a major is not the behavior that fans want to see from one of the best athletes in the sport. 

The best thing for him to do would have been to face the music, talk to the media, and then go play in a tournament this weekend. Instead, he's going to go home and hide. 

Well, at least his wife will be there to help see him through this clearly difficult time. 

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Dan began his sports media career at ESPN, where he survived for nearly a decade. Once the Stockholm Syndrome cleared, he made his way to OutKick. He is secure enough in his masculinity to admit he is a cat-enthusiast with three cats, one of which is named "Brady" because his wife wishes she were married to Tom instead of him.