TROON, Scotland — Fifteen-time main champion Tiger Woods was among the many individuals who reached out to Rory McIlroy by way of textual content message following his final-round collapse in final month’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.
Sadly, McIlroy did not study Woods’ phrases of encouragement till he ran into him at The Open at Royal Troon Golf Membership on Tuesday.
“Full disclosure, I modified my quantity two days after the U.S. Open, so I did not get it till he informed me about it right this moment,” McIlroy mentioned. “I used to be like, ‘Oh, thanks very a lot.’ So, I blanked Tiger Woods, which might be not an excellent factor.”
Michael Jordan and tennis star Rafael Nadal have been amongst those that reached out to McIlroy after he missed two quick putts within the ultimate three holes to lose to LIV Golf League captain Bryson DeChambeau by one stroke.
McIlroy, a four-time main champion, will attempt to finish an almost 10-year drought in majors at The Open, which begins Thursday on Scotland’s west coast.
Woods’ message to McIlroy was that he was a buddy and knew it was a tough second as a result of he had been within the state of affairs earlier than.
“We have all been there as champions,” Woods mentioned. “All of us lose. Sadly, it simply occurred, and the uncooked emotion of it, it is nonetheless there, and it is going to be there for, I am positive, a while. The sooner he is capable of get again on a horse and get again into competition, like he did final week, the higher it’s for him.”
At the same time as an 82-time winner on the PGA Tour, Woods mentioned he felt uncomfortable over many putts throughout his Corridor of Fame profession.
“You have a look at the highlights, I’ve missed loads of putts,” Woods mentioned. “I’ve missed loads of photographs. Identical to Jordan, once they mentioned what number of photographs have you ever taken? You see all of the game-winning photographs, but additionally, he is missed a ton of game-winning photographs, too. The factor is you continue to take the game-winning shot, and I nonetheless need the final putt.”
In hindsight, McIlroy mentioned he wasn’t shocked that he was anxious on the previous couple of holes, however solely needs he’d dealt with his nerves higher.
“I believe the previous couple of holes of a serious championship with an important likelihood to win, for those who’re not feeling it, then it most likely doesn’t suggest as a lot to you because it ought to,” McIlroy mentioned.
McIlroy took three weeks off from aggressive golf earlier than returning eventually week’s Genesis Scottish Open. He tied for fourth at 14 underneath, 4 photographs behind winner Robert MacIntyre.
“Tiger has been nothing however unbelievable to me over the course of my profession within the good moments and the dangerous,” McIlroy mentioned. “He despatched me an unbelievable message after [The Open at] St. Andrews in 2022.
“I met Tiger once I was 15 years outdated, and I’ve constructed up an important relationship with him, his entire household. … I caught up with him earlier. It is all the time good when your hero and the man that you simply had in your bed room wall is reaching out and providing phrases of encouragement.”
