Rory McIlroy has revealed he accidentally “deleted” Tiger Woods when he changed his phone number following his heartbreak in the final round of the US Open.
McIlroy squandered a two-shot lead on the final day at Pinehurst No. 2 with three bogeys on his last four holes, leaving him second behind Bryson DeChambeau and continuing his bid for an elusive fifth major victory.
The Northern Irishman revealed earlier this week that Rafael Nadal and Michael Jordan were among the stars who sent him messages of support, while Woods confirmed ahead of the Open that he had also contacted McIlroy within days of the disappointing finish.
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McIlroy says he missed Woods’ message after US Open but recently met with 15-time major champion
McIlroy withdrew from the Travelers Championship the week after the U.S. Open and spent a few days wandering around Manhattan, where he changed his phone number and was unaware that Woods had tried to contact him.
“To be honest, I changed my number two days after the U.S. Open, so I didn’t have it until he told me today,” McIlroy said in his pre-tournament news conference. “I said, ‘Oh, thank you very much.’”
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“So I shut out Tiger Woods, which is probably not a good thing. Tiger has been just incredible to me throughout my career, in good times and bad. He sent me an incredible message after St Andrews in 2022.
“I met Tiger when I was 15 and have built a great relationship with him and his entire family. He also really enjoys spending time with my mom and dad. It means a lot that he reached out to me.
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“It means a lot that he waited a few days to contact me, and if he hadn’t waited that long, I probably would have gotten my message. But I met him sooner. It’s always nice when your hero and the guy you had on your bedroom wall reach out and offer words of encouragement.”
Woods discussed the message he sent during his press conference at Royal Troon, where the 15-time major champion explained the “raw emotion” McIlroy will face after extending his major drought.
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“I just sent him a nice message,” Woods said. “I waited a week before I sent it. I wanted to let things calm down. I know he was besieged with a lot of different things, so I let things calm down for a week.”
Asked what he said in the message, Woods added: “Basically, as you know, I’m your friend. I know this is a tough time. We’ve all been there as champions. We’re all losing.
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Sky Sports’ Jamie Weir noted that McIlroy looked relaxed and in incredible form ahead of The Open Championship at Royal Troon
“Unfortunately it happened like that and the raw emotion is still there and it will be for some time I’m sure. The sooner he can get back on a horse and get back in the race, like he did last week (at the Scottish Open), the better for him.”
Will McIlroy bounce back at the Open?
McIlroy now has 21 top-10 finishes at majors since his 2014 PGA Championship success, including six top-sixes in his last eight Open appearances, with the 35-year-old heading to Royal Troon after claiming a shared fourth place in his title defence at the Genesis Scottish Open.
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“That (talking about another major win) doesn’t bother me,” McIlroy added. “I know I’m in a good place. If I think about 2015 to 2020, that five-year period, I rarely had a realistic chance of winning a major championship in that five-year period.
“So I much prefer to have those tight situations. It means I’m getting closer to winning. I wish I could play golf and score a goal, but as soon as I do, people will say, ‘When am I going to win my sixth?’ It will never end.”
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On his form ahead of the final men’s major of the year, McIlroy said: “The game is really in shape. I had a good reset after Pinehurst, which was necessary, and I felt I shook off a bit of the rust last week (at the Scottish Open) and played well.
“I felt like I probably could have given myself a better chance to win the tournament. I thought it was a solid week. Again, it’s like I’m focused on both preparing for this week and trying to be a top contender. It’s nice to come back here and get back into the swing of things.”
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