Rory McIlroy Breaks Silence After U.S. Open Controversies, Found Solace in ‘Glass of Wine’

Days after his behavior at the 2025 U.S. Open stirred controversy, Rory McIlroy explained he was leaving everything in the past — but not before a bit of indulgence. 

McIlroy, 36, spoke to reporters on Wednesday, June 18, ahead of this week’s Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Connecticut, where he expressed his method of decompression after his final round at the U.S. Open on Sunday, June 15. 

“I certainly like to unwind and have a glass of wine on a Sunday night,” McIlroy said. “I wouldn’t say that’s the best recovery modality.”

McIlroy finished in a tie for 19th place at Oakmont Country Club over the weekend, a tournament which saw him smash a tee marker, hurl a golf club down the fairway and routinely avoid talking to the media. 

“I think everyone’s got their own way of recovering from grueling weeks,” McIlroy explained. “I think they’re just the little habits that you pick up along the way, whether it’s physical or whether it’s mental or getting away from it and giving yourself a little bit of time to recharge.”

He added, “But yeah, I think it’s important to take care of yourself physically and mentally. Especially when you play these big events and there’s a lot of pressure and expectation. It is important to get away from all of that, as well.”

In the midst of a busy PGA Tour schedule, McIlroy said he tries to “get back into” the right mindset beginning on Mondays. 

“I give myself that day,” he said. “I think Mondays in between tournaments are quite important as a reset.”

McIlroy is part of a stacked field at the Travelers Championship, which includes 2025 U.S. Open champion J.J. Spaun, Scottie Scheffler, Collin Morikawa and Xander Schauffele. 

After his final round at the U.S. Open, McIlroy admitted he was struggling to find motivation after winning his first Masters championship in April, making him just the sixth golfer in history to win the career grand slam. 

“Look, I climbed my Everest in April, and I think after you do something like that, you’ve got to make your way back down, and you’ve got to look for another mountain to climb,” McIlroy said. 

While he granted time to reporters on Sunday at the U.S. Open, McIlroy decided to opt out of speaking with them multiple times throughout the week. His unwillingness drew the ire of many in the golf world, including Irish golf legend Paul McGinley.

“I don’t like to see that,” McGinley, 58, said on Saturday, June 14, according to GOLF.com. “I think Rory’s better than that. Either not talking to the media or not giving a press conference like that doesn’t serve him fairly or rightly for the person he is.”

McGinley added, “He looks like he’s had enough of everything. Whether it was the emotional release of everything that’s gone on in his career, I don’t know. But he’s not himself. This is not normal.”