Rory McIlroy didn’t respond to a supportive text message from Tiger Woods following the former’s collapse at the 2024 US Open. McIlroy – who finished second at Pinehurst – will try to end a 10-year title drought at the upcoming Open Championship.
McIlroy revealed that he changed his phone number just two days after the US Open and so he wasn’t aware of Tiger’s message until the 15-time Major Champion himself let him know on Tuesday. Besides Tiger, Basketball Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and 22-time Grand Slam men’s tennis champion Rafael Nadal also contacted McIlroy in support of last month’s event.
The US Open loss is a thing of the past now and McIlroy has turned his disappointment into motivation – progressing from dejection to understanding to enthusiasm.
At Royal Troon, McIlroy aims to display all that he’s learned in what will be his final shot at redemption for nine long months.
McIlroy comes to the Major as the second-leading favorite, behind only world No 1 Scottie Scheffler. That’s a nod not only to McIlroy’s recent record, but also his Open résumé: six top-6 finishes in his past eight starts.
McIlroy has enlisted the help of Europe Ryder Cup captain Luke Donald for putting tips ahead of the Open Championship. Donald is also helping him refamiliarize himself with links conditions, in particular the speed of the greens.
With less than 24 hours to go before the tournament tees off, McIlroy is happy with where his game is after a bit of “rust” last week.
