Rory McIlroy felt 'stuck in neutral' for most of The Open

McIlroy extended an olive branch to Bryson DeChambeau by saying the American playing at the Irish Open would be "great for the tournament"

Rory McIlroy will spend time on holiday with his family, before returning to competitive golf for next month’s PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup series. Pic: Peter Byrne/PA Wire.

Rory McIlroy dismissed his Open Championship campaign as “just one of those weeks” as his bid for a second Claret Jug ended in disappointment on Sunday.

The world number two ended the final major of 2026 with a one-over-par round of 71 at Royal Birkdale to finish on one under par, eight strokes behind clubhouse leader Cameron Young of the United States.