Rory McIlroy will be in action at the John Deere Classic this weekend as he continues his break from golf following his US Open heartache last month
Rory McIlroy has snubbed the chance to earn a $1.4million payout at the John Deere Classic this weekend, as he continues his break from golf.
The 35-year-old seemed poised to end his near 10-year drought for a major title at the recent US Open, but two unexpected missed putts in the final three holes handed the win to Bryson DeChambeau. In a statement on X, McIlroy described it as potentially the hardest day of his career and announced his plan to take a short hiatus from the sport.
McIlroy has since kept his word and did not compete for the £3.1million grand prize at the Travelers Championship, which came quickly after his US Open defeat.
The four-time major winner also stayed out of action last weekend, skipping the Rocket Morgage Classic in Detroit and missing out on another possible £1.3 million payday.
This means that McIlroy has declined potential winnings of up to £5.5million as he opts to recover from the US Open, though he did pocket £1.8million as the runner-up at Pinehurst. It is part of a long-term plan for McIlroy, who plans to make his comeback at the Scottish Open later this month.
McIlroy chose not to speak to the media after the US Open but took to social media to express his feelings: “As I said at the start of the tournament, I feel closer to winning my next major championship than I ever have. 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.
“I’m going to take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up for my defence of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon. See you in Scotland.”
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