Tiger Woods Sends Supportive Message To Rory McIlroy After U.S. Open Collapse

Tiger Woods shared that he sent a supportive message to Rory McIlroy after the latter's disappointing finish at the U.S. Open. McIlroy, who bogeyed three of his last four holes at Pinehurst, lost to Bryson DeChambeau. This extended McIlroy's wait for a major title since his 2014 PGA Championship win.

Following McIlroy's setback, Spanish tennis star Rafael Nadal and NBA icon Michael Jordan also reached out to him. McIlroy managed to tie for fourth place at the Scottish Open last week, showing resilience after his U.S. Open disappointment.

Woods discussed his message to McIlroy during a press conference before the Open Championship at Royal Troon. "I just sent him a nice text," Woods said. "I waited a week before I sent it. I wanted to let it calm down, as I know he was being besieged by a lot of different things going on."

Woods' message emphasized friendship and understanding: "It basically went, as you know, I'm your friend. I know this is a difficult moment. We've all been there as champions. We all lose." He added that returning to competition quickly would benefit McIlroy.

Reflecting on his own experiences, Woods acknowledged feeling discomfort and nerves in critical moments. He compared himself to Michael Jordan, noting that both have missed crucial shots but continue to take them: "The thing is you still take the game-winning shot, and I still want the last putt."

Declining Ryder Cup Captaincy

Woods also explained why he declined the Team USA captaincy for next year's Ryder Cup, which went to Keegan Bradley instead. "The decision was very difficult for me to make," Woods said. "My time has been so loaded with the tour and what we're trying to accomplish - I'm on so many different sub-committees."

He elaborated on his busy schedule: "TGL starts next year, as well as the Ryder [Cup]. You add all that together, along with our negotiations with the PIF - all concurrently going along at the same time - there's only so many hours in the day." Woods felt he couldn't devote enough time to do justice to the captaincy role.

Woods expressed confidence in Bradley's leadership abilities: "Keegan is going to be a great leader. He is very passionate about what he does and the event."

The Open (@TheOpen) July 16, 2024

Watch Tiger's full press conference on R&A TV.

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