Rory McIlroy says Michael Jordan was the first person to message him after US Open heartbreak
Michael Jordan was first to reach out to Rory McIlroy following his heartbreaking US Open defeat.
The Northern Irishman faced a stern test from Bryson DeChambeau at Pinehurst in his bid to end a 10-year wait to win a major.
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However, despite leading with five holes left to play, he made three bogeys on the final four and allowed DeChambeau to win.
McIlroy cut a devastated figure afterwards and went on to admit that it was the 'toughest day of his career' in an emotional statement.
And NBA royalty Jordan, widely considered the greatest player of all time and often referred to as 'his airness', was quick to message.
When asked by if anyone 'out of the ordinary' spoke to him following his defeat, he said: "Rafa Nadal and Michael Jordan.
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“Two of the most unbelievable competitors that have ever been in sport. MJ was maybe the first person to text me after I missed the putt on the 18th but both of them got in touch very, very quickly.
“They just told me to keep going. MJ reminded me of how many game-winning shots he missed. Really nice.”
Just a month on from defeat at the US Open, McIlroy has another chance to win a fifth major title at The Open, live on talkSPORT 2.
He is a frontrunner to claim victory at Royal Troon in Scotland this weekend after recently finishing T4 at the Scottish Open.
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McIlroy's putting let him down at the US Open in June, particularly on the crucial 18th, but he's hopeful of improvement in the coming days.
“The reason that I like to play the week before the majors is to knock a little bit of rust off and try to get sharp, and I feel like I've done that this week,” he told the .
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“If I can get the putter to cooperate and get the speed of the greens down… I feel like I’ll be in a really good spot.”
Brian Harman will return to The Open as the defending champion, with the 152nd edition of the tournament starting on Thursday.
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