Rory McIlroy Finishes Open Championship Tied for 40th After Winning Masters in April

Rory McIlroy finished the 2026 Open Championship tied for 40th at 1-under par at Royal Birkdale. He described his four rounds as stuck in neutral and said even par over the weekend would not suffice. McIlroy added that any momentum he built was undone by bogeys and that the week was one in which he could not get his game going.

McIlroy won the Masters for a second time in April. He said he has not yet taken time to enjoy or celebrate that victory and will use the coming weeks to do so. The 37-year-old noted that his daughter Poppy has another four weeks off school and that he plans to spend the summer holidays with her and Erica.

McIlroy, a six-time major winner, said the prospect of competing week in and week out on the PGA Tour no longer excites him. He said he reached the decision last year to select his tournaments and is following the same approach this season. ESPN reported the comments after the final round.

McIlroy called the two-shot penalty given to Bryson DeChambeau at the Open Championship pretty obvious.