Rory McIlroy closed out the 154th Open Championship at Royal Birkdale on July 19, tied for 40th at 1-under par.
Following that, he confirmed he will not tee it up again before the FedEx St. Jude Championship in Memphis. More pointedly, he said the PGA Tour and the FedExCup no longer generate the fire in him they once did.
McIlroy said he will use this break to spend more time with his wife, Erica Stoll and daughter Poppy. He stayed true to his word.
On Wednesday, he was spotted dancing and reveling in the atmosphere at the superclub Pacha Ibiza in Spain. His wife was not captured on the video that surfaced on social media.
This is not the first week he is away from his home.
Before visiting Spain, McIlroy and fellow Irishman Shane Lowry flew to Greece with their wives shortly after Royal Birkdale, marking the start of their post-major break together.
Golf fans did not take this approach very kindly.
American fans were already displeased with McIlroy calling out Bryson DeChambeau after his second round antics. His decision just added to it.
Rory McIlroy Faces Massive Backlash From Fans
GettyRory McIlroy leaves the 12th green on day three of the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale.
The criticism began in June, when McIlroy skipped the Travelers Championship and fell short of the Tour’s 15-event minimum for the season.
Commissioner Jay Monahan invoked the Tour’s discretionary “extenuating circumstances” clause to spare him from punishment. The call drew accusations of special treatment for the sport’s biggest draw.
McIlroy blunt criticism of DeChambeau’s actions just added fuel to the fire.
Dechambeau after receiving a two-shot penalty called the decision unfair and threatened to withdraw from the tournament. He also did not leave the range until late night on Friday
Due to this, R&A officials could not release the tee times until very early Saturday, drawing reproach from golfers like Justin Thomas.
“I won’t pretend to be up here and defend Bryson. I’m not particularly fond of him,” the six-time major winner confessed. “A lot of it’s performative. A lot of it’s for attention. To hold the tournament hostage like that and to have all of us, players, volunteers, everyone waiting on him to depart, I didn’t feel like it was a great look.”
Rory McIlroy is Not Giving Up on Golf
GettyRory McIlroy interacts with fans as he leaves the 13th green on day three of the 154th Open at Royal Birkdale.
Despite the rumors, McIlroy is not done with golf yet. Though his enthusiasm for the PGA Tour and FedEx Playoffs has diminished, he is still excited to play competitive golf.
He remains committed to a globally minded slate built around the DP World Tour and the sport’s national opens, like the one upcoming in his homeland.
“I’m looking forward to it,” he said, pointing to how much he enjoys playing on home soil.
He loved teeing off in international events through India, the Middle East and Australia, a circuit he plans to play again this year.
A similar sentiment was also expressed by World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler. And that is why both him and McIlroy are excited for the upcoming Tour changes.
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