The US Open at Pinehurst No.2 gave Rory McIlroy two huge experiences that he might never want to relive again. The first is that he missed two big putts to keep him in the running for the championship. Another is Bryson DeChambeau's performance in the last hole of the course which the PGA Tour star had to painfully watch in the cooldown room. This loss was so tough that the Northern Ireland legend could not talk to the media after the fact. It even made him withdraw from the Travelers Championship.

McIlroy finally released a statement about his performance at the US Open. It was charged with emotions, but he also did not forget to give DeChambeau his flowers after the American star beating him at Pinehurst.

“Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I've had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer. Firstly, I'd like to congratulate Bryson. He is a worthy champion and exactly what professional golf needs right now. I think we can all agree on that,” McIlroy said.

It looked like the end of Rory McIlroy's major title drought during the Sunday of the US Open. He was going shot for shot against Bryson DeChambeau and everything was swell. Then, his chance to close out the trophy was halted by a putt at 16th where he completely missed the cup. Another opportunity came in the 18th hole but it was the same story for the PGA Tour great. He missed these two putts which were just under five feet in distance from the hole.

Rory McIlroy needs time to process his US Open defeat

Pinehurst, North Carolina, USA; Rory McIlroy reacts after a missed putt on the eighteenth green during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament.
John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

McIlroy then went on to describe his feelings after the devastating US Open collapse. He got into more detail about moving on after those huge mishaps on the 16th and 18th holes.

“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. But, as I always 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. The one word that I would describe my career as is resilient. I've shown resilience over and over again in the last 17 years and I will again.”

Understandably, the PGA Tour star still needs a lot of time to process his emotions and recalibrate himself. This means that he will not be at the Travelers Championship. But, McIlroy did give a return timeline which his fans can look forward to.

McIlroy furthered, “I'm going to take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up for my defense of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon. See you in Scotland.”

After this loss to Bryson DeChambeau, McIlroy will definitely come back with a stronger mentality and a more accurate stroke from within five feet of the cup. He has bounced back from being cut a lot of times and having to settle for runner-up finishes. Even if it is not the US Open or even the Travelers Championship, his time to hoist a major is looming.