Rory McIlroy insists his U.S. Open capitulation is behind him as he aims to respond at The Open Championship, backed by support from two sporting stars. (More Sports News)
The Northern Irishman collapsed in remarkable fashion at Pinehurst, missing two simple putts as Bryson DeChambeau sneaked in to profit and win the major.
Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal and NBA legend Michael Jordan both reached out to McIlroy in the aftermath of that disappointment.
The 35-year-old has now racked up four runners-up finishes in majors since his last such victory at the PGA Championship in 2014.
Yet McIlroy is intent on responding when The Open returns at Royal Troon this week.
"Rafa Nadal and Michael Jordan," McIlroy told The Guardian. "Two of the most unbelievable competitors that have ever been in sport.
"MJ was maybe the first person to text me after I missed the putt on the 18th but both of them got in touch very, very quickly. They just told me to keep going. MJ reminded me of how many game-winning shots he missed. Really nice."
The four-time major champion scored bogeys on three of his final four holes during his U.S. Open downfall.
"Was it a great opportunity to win a major? Absolutely," McIlroy added of his short-putting nightmare. "It hurt and in the moment it was tough, terrible.
"I'd say people would be surprised to see how quickly I got over it and moved on."
McIlroy subsequently took a short break before returning at the Scottish Open last week, finishing tied for fourth place at the Renaissance Club.
"Maybe the one drawback from me not talking [to media] afterwards was that you got three weeks of speculation," McIlroy said, referring to his swift exit at Pinehurst.
"He should have done this, should have done that but we will never know because he didn't say. I trust the people around me. I don't need to go looking for external counsel.
"If the tournament ended after 68 holes, people would be calling me the best golfer in the world. You have to be an eternal optimist. Say you play 25 events a year and win three of those. You are one of the best players in history. We lose way more than we win.
"Yes, I was in a great winning position and should have won but it's not the first time I have let something slip away. It's probably not going to be the last.
"You have to look at it on the continuum. It was tough but it is one tournament, I play 23-25 per year. You have to keep going.
"The great thing about this game is you have an opportunity to get back on the horse right after a tough loss. You try to learn from it and do better next time."
