Rory: Final round of U.S. Open 'toughest' day of my career

Rory McIlroy is keeping his head up following a disastrous finish at this past weekend's U.S. Open that saw him fall one stroke short of his first major victory in almost 10 years.

"Yesterday was a tough day," he wrote in a statement posted to X on Monday. "Probably the toughest I've had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer. ... As I reflect on my week, I'll rue a few things over the course of the tournament. ... But, as I always try to 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 my resilience over and over again in the last 17 years and I will again."

McIlroy entered the final round three strokes back of the lead, but he built a two-shot advantage after collecting five birdies through his first 13 holes during Sunday's action.

Then, it all fell apart. He bogeyed three of his last four holes, and Bryson DeChambeau secured the victory with a par on No. 18.

McIlroy said he finds his missed putts on the 16th and 18th holes particularly bothersome, but the Irishman was gracious one day after defeat.

"I'd like to congratulate Bryson," McIlroy said. "He is a worthy champion and exactly what professional golf needs right now. I think we can all agree on that."

The 35-year-old McIlroy added that he's stepping away from the game for "a few weeks," ruling him out for the upcoming Travelers Championship. He plans to return for July's Genesis Scottish Open, where he is the defending champion, and The Open Championship.