Rory McIlroy Calls US Open 4th Round 'Toughest' Day as Pro, Praises Bryson DeChambeau

Rory McIlroy was clearly frustrated after coming up short against Bryson DeChambeau at the U.S. Open on Sunday, and he released a statement about the weekend on Monday.

His statement praised DeChambeau for being a "worthy champion" while also recognizing that the fourth round of the tournament was the "toughest" day he's had in his professional golf career.

"Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I've had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer," he said in the statement. "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."

He went on to reflect on his performance at the tournament and also said that he is planning to spend a few weeks away from golf to "process everything." The full statement from his X account can be read below:

McIlroy has withdrawn from the Travelers Championship and will not golf again until the Scottish Open.

McIlroy had a strong performance for most of the weekend, starting the tournament with a five-under-par 65 in Round 1. He finished the weekend at five under, but that wasn't enough to beat DeChambeau, who finished six under to win his second U.S. Open.

McIlroy's collapse happened in the fourth round when he missed a pair of putts that ultimately cost him the win. He was leading the field on the 16th hole before missing a par putt that dropped his score to six under, putting him in a tie with DeChambeau.

McIlroy then missed a par putt on the final hole, leaving a window open for DeChambeau to take the lead.

To DeChambeau's defense, he didn't just get lucky with McIlroy missing a pair of putts. He managed to hit a miraculous shot from the bunker on the 18th hole, leaving him a short putt away from his eventual win.

For McIlroy, the bad breaks down the back stretch combined with not having won a major in 10 years led to a frustrating weekend overall. Shortly after DeChambeau's win, McIlroy was seen swiftly leaving the clubhouse.

As he said in his statement, though, McIlroy feels "closer to winning" his next major than he ever has, and he'll get the chance to do so next month at The Open Championship.