Tiger Woods aimed a swing back towards Colin Montgomerie after the Scottish golfer suggested the American should have already retired ahead of The Open Championship.

The former world number one missed back-to-back cuts at the PGA Championship and U.S. Open but is on course to play all four majors in a year for the first time since 2019.

Woods, a 15-time major champion, also finished last of those to make the cut at The Masters this year.

Montgomerie referenced Woods' struggles in an interview before the 152nd Open at Royal Troon, asking whether he should call time on his playing career.

Woods intends on continuing to play until he no longer deems his game as competitive, however.

"I'll play as long as I can play and feel like I can still win the event," Woods said when Montgomerie's comments were questioned at Tuesday's pre-tournament press conference.

"As a past [Open] champion I am exempt until I'm 60. Colin is not as he's not a past champion, he's not exempt.

"He doesn't get the right to make that decision. I do. When I get to his age I get to make that decision. He doesn't."

Following that jibe at Woods' media duties in South Ayrshire, Montgomerie sought to ease the tension.

"If golf writers want my thoughts on Tiger please ask me direct, rather than taking a quote from an interview out of context," the 61-year-old posted on X.

"Wishing Tiger an enjoyable and successful week."

Woods is set to play the first two rounds with this year's PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele and former FedExCup champion Patrick Cantlay.

The 48-year-old also played a practice round with fellow Americans Justin Thomas and Max Homa on Monday, with that showing leaving no doubts in his mind over his physical capabilities.

"I've been training a lot better," Woods said. "We've been busting it pretty hard in the gym, which has been good.

"Body has been feeling better to be able to do such things, and it translates to being able to hit the ball better.

"I can't quite stay out there during a practice session as long as I'd like, but I'm able to do some things that I haven't done all year, which is nice."

Scottie Scheffler is aiming for Open Championship success at Royal Troon but had no idea about the potential of matching Arnold Palmer's piece of history this week.

The world number one has won six times on the PGA Tour this year, with the last player to do so by this stage being Palmer, way back in 1962.

Palmer coincidentally secured his seventh title of that year at the same Troon course in South Ayrshire, with Scheffler out to match that feat when starting on Thursday.

Scheffler will play in all-American three-ball with 2017 champion Jordan Spieth and 2022 runner-up Cameron Young, though admitted that Palmer's history had slipped his mind.

"That would be great [to match Palmer]," the 28-year-old said at Tuesday's pre-tournament press conference.

"No [I wasn't aware]. I try to stay off the internet as much as possible. I like to, when I'm at home, be at home and be present.

"I love the history of the game, and there's certain things that I know and certain things that I don't.

"That was something that for some reason I just never stumbled across, so I had no idea that that was a thing."

Scheffler has two major honours to his name so far, both at The Masters in 2022 and 2024, but finished all four rounds over par at last month's U.S. Open.

The 152nd Open in Scotland will pose a different challenge, yet one which Scheffler is relishing.

"I'm excited for the week. I think the golf course is great," the two-time major winner added.

"I feel like you have to be more creative here [with links golf] and I love that part of it. I feel this is really how golf was intended to be played.

"There's a lot more opportunity for shot-making and being creative around the greens. It really is fun to come over here and play."

Rory McIlroy has no issues with repeated talk over his long wait for another major crown, preferring to have many "close calls" rather than missing out entirely.

The Northern Irishman is preparing to tee off at The Open Championship on Thursday, playing alongside Tyrrell Hatton and American Max Homa in the first two rounds at Royal Troon.

Much of the discussion before the 152nd Open has revolved around McIlroy's near-miss at the U.S. Open, having squandered a late lead by bogeying three of his final four holes.

That collapse included two woeful putts from close range, with Bryson DeChambeau seizing the chance to take the Pinehurst major, and brought further questions over McIlroy's game.

Yet the 35-year-old, who has not won a major since 2014 at the PGA Championship, would rather be close again than not be in the race.

"It [talk about another major win] doesn't bother me," McIlroy said at Tuesday's pre-tournament press conference.

"I know that I'm in a good spot. If I think about 2015 through 2020, that five-year stretch, I seldom had a realistic chance to win a major championship in those five years.

"So I'd much rather have these close calls. It means that I'm getting closer.

"I'd love to be able to play golf and get one over the line, but as soon as I do that, people are going to say, well, when are you going to win your sixth? So it's never-ending."

Messages of support flooded towards McIlroy after last month's disappointment at the U.S. Open, with Rafael Nadal, Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods all reaching out.

McIlroy was none the wiser about Woods' kind words, however, having changed his phone number after taking a break following the Pinehurst failure.

"Full disclosure, I changed my number two days after the U.S. Open, so I didn't get it until he told me about it today," McIlroy added. "I was like, 'Oh, thanks very much'.

"So I blanked Tiger Woods, which is probably not a good thing. Tiger has been nothing but incredible to me over the course of my career, in the good moments and the bad. He sent me an incredible message after St. Andrews in 2022.

"I met Tiger when I was 15 years old, and I've built up a great relationship with him, his whole family. He really enjoys spending time with my mum and dad as well. It means a lot that he reached out.

"It means a lot that he waited a few days to reach out, which if he hadn't waited that long, I probably would have got it. But I caught up with him earlier.

"It's always nice when your hero and the guy that you had on your bedroom wall is reaching out and offering words of encouragement."

Jon Rahm hopes he can "continue this stretch" of Spanish sporting triumphs with victory at the Open Championship this week.

Spain were given plenty of reasons to celebrate on the sporting front last weekend.

Carlos Alcaraz successfully defended his Wimbledon crown on Sunday, a few hours before Spain won Euro 2024 with victory over England, while Sergio Garcia won his first title in four years at LIV Golf Andalucia.

Rahm, who finished tied-second at this event 12 months ago, hopes he can continue the trend by going one step better this time at Royal Troon.

"A lot of history is being done, with Alcaraz being the sixth player to win the French Open and Wimbledon in the same year and [winning] four Grand Slams at a very young age, Spain winning the fourth European championship," the Spaniard told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday.

"And Sergio and his team doing what they did on Sunday, quite special. Coming back to a venue like this with so much history, it would be quite incredible to earn an Open Championship on this golf course in this tournament.

"It's arguably my favourite week in golf. And to maybe even continue this stretch of great Spanish sports, it would be absolutely fantastic."

As a result of Spain's victory over England in Berlin, Rahm revealed he has subsequently received a warm welcome from the Scottish locals.

"I played all 18 holes yesterday and I think I got more congratulations for something that I didn't do than I ever have in my life," the two-time major winner laughed.

"I don't know what they've done, but anytime anybody plays against the English national team, every other country in Europe just unifies against them. I don't know why or what they've done. I'm not aware of the history.

"I think because we've heard 'It's Coming Home' so many times the last few years, that nobody wants to see it come home at this point."

Tiger Woods revealed he sent a message of support to Rory McIlroy following the Northern Irishman's heartbreak at the U.S. Open.

McIlroy suffered a remarkable collapse at Pinehurst, where he scored bogeys on three of his final four holes to hand victory to Bryson DeChambeau.

It meant the 35-year-old's wait for a major title goes on, having last triumphed at the PGA Championship in 2014.

Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal and NBA legend Michael Jordan both reached out to McIlroy, who finished tied-fourth on his return to action at last week's Scottish Open, in the aftermath of that disappointment.

And addressing reporters at a press conference ahead of this week's Open Championship at Royal Troon, Wood revealed he followed suit.

"I just sent him a nice text. That was it," the 15-time major winner said. "I waited a week before I sent it. I wanted to let it calm down, as I know he was being besieged by a lot of different things going on.

"It basically went, as you know, I'm your friend. I know this is a difficult moment. We've all been there as champions. We all lose. 

"Unfortunately it happened, and the raw emotion of it, it's going to be there for, I'm sure, some time. The faster he's able to get back on a horse and get back into contention, like he did last week, the better it is for him.

"There's a lot of times I felt discomfort, absolutely. Nervous, shaky, uncomfortable, all of it. I've missed plenty of putts. I've missed plenty of shots. 

"Just like [Michael] Jordan, when they said how many shots have you taken? You see all the game-winning shots, but he's also missed a ton of game-winning shots, too. 

"The thing is you still take the game-winning shot, and I still want the last putt."

Woods also spoke of his decision to decline the Team USA captaincy for next year's Ryder Cup, with the role ultimately going to Keegan Bradley.

"The decision was very difficult for me to make," he added. "My time has been so loaded with the tour and what we're trying to accomplish - I'm on so many different sub-committees. It takes so much time.

"I just didn't feel like I could do the job properly. I couldn't devote the time. I barely have enough time to do what I'm doing now.

"TGL starts next year, as well as the Ryder [Cup]. You add all that together, along with our negotiations with the PIF - all concurrently going along at the same time - there's only so many hours in the day.

"I don't think I would be doing the captaincy, or the players and Team USA justice if I was captain. Keegan is going to be a great leader. He is very passionate about what he does and the event."

Bryson DeChambeau says winning the 2024 U.S. Open proves he can win more majors as he prepares for The Open Championship.

The American profited from Rory McIlroy's late collapse at Pinehurst, snatching the victory by a single stroke.

It was his second major win, having also won the U.S. Open in 2020, while he also finished as a runner-up at the PGA Championship and in the top 10 at The Masters this year.

However, DeChambeau has only finished inside the top 30 once in six tries at The Open - in 2022 - though he is aiming to change that at Royal Troon this week, drawing confidence from his recent success.

"2020 [U.S. Open] was a bit of me showing that I could do it," DeChambeau said. "It's always difficult to get that first major win.

"The second one [2024] was more about cementing my own comfort levels of knowing I can do it again and again. That's really cool.

"I can give myself more runs at majors... I've obviously played well at a lot of them this year."

DeChambeau finished tied in 60th place at The Open last year, his worst finish at the major.

He boasts the strongest form going into the tournament and is confident he can maintain that to put him in the running for the trophy.

"If I play well this week, I think I can give myself a good chance obviously," he added.

"I'm very confident, but it all depends on if I'm striking it well. I can come in here with the most confidence, off of a major championship win, but really what matters if I can continue to drive the ball as well as I have and continue to strike my irons the way I know I can and putt like I can. If I do those things well, I'll give myself a good chance.

"I know how to get the job done, it's just a matter of whether I'm as consistent as what I was at the U.S. Open."

Brian Harman is certain of his capabilities to defend The Open Championship trophy at Royal Troon, where the American expects crowd heckling to calm down after last year's incidents.

Harman clinched a maiden major title last year at Royal Liverpool after coasting to a six-shot victory for his first PGA Tour triumph in six years.

The world number 13 hopes to reunite with the famed Claret Jug in Scotland, though expects the course – and the spectators – to pose a different challenge to last year's success.

Harman described the abuse as "unrepeatable", with many mocking his pre-shot routines and heckling in an all-round attempt to put off the soon-to-be champion.

"It doesn't bother me," Harman told Monday's pre-tournament press conference when asked about the incidents at the 151st Open.

"I'm ready to take whatever in my stride. I'm here to play the best golf that I possibly can. That's my main focus.

"I've always loved the fans over here. I've spoken a bunch of times about how I find them the most knowledgeable fans of any that we play in front of.

"I kind of chalk last year up as more of an anomaly than anything else."

The 37-year-old finished tied for 21st in the Scottish Open, a warm-up event for the major at Royal Troon, but has three top-10 finishes in the PGA Tour in 2024.

Having shared fifth place at The Sentry, second at the Players Championship and ninth in the Travelers Championship, Harman is in decent form.

He is now looking to become the first player since Padraig Harrington in 2007 and 2008 to win back-to-back Open titles.

"Anytime that you become a major champion it certainly elevates your status in the game, elevates the way that you're perceived in the game," Harman added.

"I try to take all of that in my stride, but at the same time understand that the golf is the most important thing, and I've tried to improve my golf game and get it in a place where I can maybe contend in some more majors down the road.

"My stats this year have been really good. My ball striking has been as good as it's ever been. The only thing I haven't done well this year is I haven't putted especially well. So I'm just kind of waiting for it all to line up correctly.

"You can work and work and work. You just never know when that work is going to pay off. You never know when the peak is coming, when you're going to catch a little bit of momentum.

Rory McIlroy insists his U.S. Open capitulation is behind him as he aims to respond at The Open Championship, backed by support from two sporting stars.

The Northern Irishman collapsed in remarkable fashion at Pinehurst, missing two simple putts as Bryson DeChambeau sneaked in to profit and win the major.

Spanish tennis great Rafael Nadal and NBA legend Michael Jordan both reached out to McIlroy in the aftermath of that disappointment.

The 35-year-old has now racked up four runners-up finishes in majors since his last such victory at the PGA Championship in 2014.

Yet McIlroy is intent on responding when The Open returns at Royal Troon this week.

"Rafa Nadal and Michael Jordan," McIlroy told The Guardian. "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."

The four-time major champion scored bogeys on three of his final four holes during his U.S. Open downfall.

"Was it a great opportunity to win a major? Absolutely," McIlroy added of his short-putting nightmare. "It hurt and in the moment it was tough, terrible.

"I'd say people would be surprised to see how quickly I got over it and moved on."

McIlroy subsequently took a short break before returning at the Scottish Open last week, finishing tied for fourth place at the Renaissance Club.

"Maybe the one drawback from me not talking [to media] afterwards was that you got three weeks of speculation," McIlroy said, referring to his swift exit at Pinehurst. 

"He should have done this, should have done that but we will never know because he didn't say. I trust the people around me. I don't need to go looking for external counsel.

"If the tournament ended after 68 holes, people would be calling me the best golfer in the world. You have to be an eternal optimist. Say you play 25 events a year and win three of those. You are one of the best players in history. We lose way more than we win.

"Yes, I was in a great winning position and should have won but it's not the first time I have let something slip away. It's probably not going to be the last.

"You have to look at it on the continuum. It was tough but it is one tournament, I play 23-25 per year. You have to keep going.

"The great thing about this game is you have an opportunity to get back on the horse right after a tough loss. You try to learn from it and do better next time."

Rory McIlroy is hoping to get his putter to "cooperate" at The Open Championship this week after two close-range misses cost him at the recent U.S. Open.

McIlroy was in contention to end his 10-year major drought at Pinehurst last month, only to miss two putts from inside four feet on the last three holes of his final round.

Those missed opportunities allowed Bryson DeChambeau to edge him out by one shot and claim his second U.S. Open title, having previously triumphed in 2020.

McIlroy finished in a share of fourth at the Scottish Open last week, four shots behind winner Robert MacIntyre, as he again struggled on the greens.

Speaking after the conclusion of his final round at The Renaissance Club, the world number two said getting his putting game into shape had been his main aim for the week.

"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," McIlroy told the PGA Tour website.

"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."

Reflecting on his overall showing, McIlroy added: "I felt like the ball-striking was there pretty much every day.

"There were a few scrappy bits here and there, but overall, it was a good week to see where my game is heading into next week, especially on the back of three weeks off.

"Pleased with the week with one eye on trying to defend here, but obviously an eye on trying to get prepared for Troon as well."

Rory McIlroy is hoping to learn from his near-miss at the U.S. Open as he looks to get his season back on track following that agonising day at Pinehurst.

McIlroy capitulated late on in the last round at U.S. Open last month, allowing Bryson DeChambeau to capitalise and clinch the title.

It has been a decade since McIlroy won the last of his four majors, but the Northern Irishman will hope to end that run at The Open next week.

First, McIlroy will defend his title at the Scottish Open, and speaking to the press ahead of that tournament, he said he will "learn a lot" from that U.S. Open heartbreak.

"I look back on that day, just like I look back on some of my toughest moments in my career," McIlroy said.

"I'll learn a lot from it and I'll hopefully put that to good use.

"It's something that's been a bit of a theme throughout my career. I've been able to take those tough moments and turn them into great things not very long after that.

"I think the way I've described Pinehurst on Sunday was like it was a great day until it wasn't.

"I did things on that Sunday that I haven't been able to do in the last couple years.

"Yeah, it was a tough day. It was a tough few days after that, obviously.

"But I think as you get further away from it happening, you start to see the positives and you start to see all the good things that you did throughout the week."

McIlroy took a short break away from the game after the U.S. Open, but he is now raring to go.

"I had some good chats with people close to me," he said.

"As you start to think about not just Sunday at Pinehurst but the whole way throughout the week, there was a couple of things that I noticed I wanted to try to work on coming into here and obviously next week at Troon.

"They were hard but at the same time, as each day went by, it became easier to focus on the positives and then to think about the future instead of what had just happened."

Rory McIlroy intends to take a break from golf after his US Open collapse as the Northern Irishman bemoaned the toughest day of his career following further major disappointment at Pinehurst.

The four-time major champion has not triumphed in one of golf's top events since 2014 at the PGA Championship.

McIlroy came within touching distance of ending that decade-long wait on Sunday but fell short in disappointing circumstances as Bryson DeChambeau claimed the US Open title by a shot in North Carolina.

The 35-year-old McIlroy managed to bogey three of his final four holes in the last round at Pinehurst's No.2 course, including a woeful miss from a short putting distance on the 18th.

DeChambeau was left to save par with an impressive up-and-down from the near-side bunker, leaving McIlroy to rue another missed opportunity on the major stage.

"Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I've had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer," McIlroy wrote on social media.

"Firstly, I'd like to congratulate Bryson. He is a worthy champion and exactly what professional golf needs right now. I think we can all agree on that.

"As I reflect on my week, I'll rue a few things over the course of the tournament, mostly the two missed putts on 16 and 18 on the final day.

"But, as I always try to do, I'll look at the positives of the week that far outweigh the negatives. As I said at the start of the tournament, I feel closer to winning my next major championship than I ever have.

"The one word that I would describe my career as is resilient. I've shown my resilience over and over again in the last 17 years and I will again."

McIlroy was expected to play in this week's Travelers Championship in Connecticut.

However, the world number two confirmed he will not feature as McIlroy prepares for a break after suffering a brutal blow to his major hopes.

"I'm going to take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up for my defence of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon," he concluded.

The Scottish Open does not start until July 11, leaving McIlroy with almost a month to recover from this setback.

Phil Mickelson expects the four majors to find a way to include the cream of LIV Golf talent even if ranking system chiefs refuse to award points to the breakaway series.

LIV bosses are pushing for the official world golf rankings (OWGR) to award points for its events, but that has yet to come about.

There is no guarantee the situation will change, but Mickelson cannot see how it is in anyone's interest for the majors, golf's pinnacle events, to exclude some of the sport's biggest stars.

His LIV Golf colleague Bryson DeChambeau labelled the rankings "almost obsolete" when he spoke this week in Singapore. He has slipped from inside the top 30 to 178th since committing to LIV, where lucrative sign-up fees and prize money have drawn a host of golf's elite players.

Mickelson and Brooks Koepka, who both defected from the PGA Tour to LIV, finished tied for second at the recent Masters.

Sharp dips in ranking status could mean LIV stars are frozen out from the majors, but there seems likely to be an arrangement reached.

Reflecting on the sport's showpiece occasions and future prospects for LIV players, Mickelson said: "It's going to all iron itself out because if you're one of the majors, if you're the Masters, you're not looking at we should keep these guys out.

"You're saying to yourself, we want to have the best field, we want to have the best players, and these guys added a lot to the tournament this year at the Masters. How do we get them included?

"We have to come up with a qualifying mechanism that is inclusive, and if the world golf ranking isn't going to be inclusive, then they have to find another way.

"Maybe they take the top five or top 10 or winners of LIV, but they're going to have to find a way to get the best LIV players in their field if they want to have the best field in golf and be really what major championship is about. So they're already looking at that.

"If the world golf rankings doesn't find a way to be inclusive, then the majors will just find another way to include LIV because it's no longer a credible way.

"So it will all iron itself out for the simple reason that it's in the best interest of everybody, especially the tournaments, the majors, to have the best players."

The US PGA Championship is coming up in May, followed by the U.S. Open in June and the Open Championship in July.

Meanwhile, the Singapore leg of the controversial, Saudi-backed LIV series begins on Friday.

DeChambeau, a former winner of the U.S. Open, has little time for the ranking system as it stands.

"You should realise that the OWGR is not accurate, one," he said. "Two, I think that they need to come to a resolution, or it will become obsolete. It's pretty much almost obsolete as of right now.

"But again, if the majors and everything continue to have that as their ranking system, then they are biting it quite heavily."

Rory McIlroy supports the controversial proposals that would see new golf balls introduced to tackle ever-increasing driving distances.

The R&A and United States Golf Association (USGA) last week proposed a "Model Local Rule" that would allow organisers and tournaments the option to use a modified ball that reduces hitting distance by approximately 15 yards.

The move was first mooted in 2020 as a way of decreasing the distance modern tour professionals hit the ball amid fears golf courses will soon not be long enough to provide a suitable test in elite competitions. 

The proposals have been met with widespread criticism from manufacturers and players alike, with Justin Thomas last week describing the move as "so bad for the game of golf."

However, four-time major champion McIlroy, who is currently playing at the World Golf Championships Match Play in Texas, is not so angry. 

Speaking to No Laying Up, he said: "For elite-level play, I really like it. I really do.

"I know that's a really unpopular opinion amongst my peers, but I think it's going to help identify who the best players are a bit easier. Especially in this era of parity that we've been living in these past couple of decades.

"Selfishly, I think it helps me. I think this is only going to help the better player. It might help the longer player too, in some ways but I think it's going to help the overall professional game. 

"I think making guys hit some long irons again, and some mid irons, and being able to hit every club in your bag in a round of golf.… I can't remember the last time when I've had to do that. 

"I don't know if this change in the ball will make us do that, but it certainly is a step closer to that."

Martin Slumbers and Mike Whan, the heads of the respective organisations, confirmed the rule would not be implemented until 2026 but would then be introduced for their elite events – the Open Championship and the U.S. Open.

There is no obligation for the PGA Tour to adopt the rules, but McIlroy suggested he might still consider using a rolled-back ball in regular-season events to better prepare for the majors. 

"Honestly, for me, the major championships are the biggest deal, so if the PGA Tour doesn't implement it, I might still play the Model Local Rule ball, because I know that'll give me the best chance and the best preparation leading into the major championships," he added. 

"And again, this is personal preference and personal opinion at this stage of my career. I know that I'm going to be defined by the amount of major championships that I hopefully will win from now until the end of my career. And that's the most important thing for me.

"If that gives me the best chance to succeed at the major championships and feel as prepared as I possibly can be, then that's what I would do."

Justin Thomas has labelled the prospect of shorter balls being used in elite tournaments "so bad" and slammed the "pretty selfish decisions" of golf's governing bodies. 

The R&A and USGA have proposed a Model Local Rule that would allow organisers and tournaments the option to use a modified golf ball that reduces hitting distance by approximately 15 yards.

Martin Slumbers and Mike Whan, the heads of the respective organisations, confirmed the rule would not be implemented until 2026 but would then be introduced for their elite events – the Open Championship and the U.S. Open.

The plans were first mooted in 2020 to tackle concerns around the ever-increasing distance professionals hit the ball, but Tuesday's announcement has been met with criticism from numerous players.  

"My reaction was disappointed and also not surprised, to be honest," two-time major champion Thomas said ahead of the Valspar Championship in Florida. 

"I think the USGA over the years has in my eyes – it's harsh – made some pretty selfish decisions. 

"I don't understand how this is growing the game.  

"For them to say in the same sentence that 'golf is in the best place it's ever been, everything is great, but...' I'm like, well, there shouldn't be a 'but' – you're trying to create a solution for a problem that doesn't exist.  

"To me, it's just so bad for the game of golf. 

"Some of the great things to me is the fact that you can play the exact same golf ball that I play. I mean, that's cool. For an everyday amateur golfer, it's very unique that we are able to play the exact same equipment. 

"I understand that I may have a different grind on a wedge, whatever you want to call it, but you can go to the pro shop and buy the same golf ball that I play or Scottie Scheffler plays or whatever."

Thomas, who is sponsored by ball-manufacturer Titleist, ridiculed the idea that professionals would end up using different balls at different tournaments and even suggested some of the game's stars may ignore the proposals if they were implemented.  

"The amount of time and money that these manufacturers have spent trying to create the best product possible, and now you're going to tell them and us that we have to start over," he said.

"If the PGA Tour, PGA of America don't adopt this local rule... two of the four biggest events of the year, we're going to have to use a different ball?

"Why are this group of call it five to 15-handicapped amateurs determining the rules of golf for professional golfers? Or why are they saying that we have to do something? 

"So, is it something where down the road, if you want to change something based off of your data that we feel like is pretty biased and incorrect and self-centred to what you believe in, then maybe we'll just create our own, or we'll do our own thing.” 

Rory McIlroy applauded Kurt Kitayama's maiden PGA Tour victory after the pair were split by a single stroke at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

The Northern Irishman tied for second alongside Harris English at eight under as Kitayama finally ended his runners-up hoodoo to claim victory at Bay Hill Club and Lodge.

After three near-misses on the tour in 2022, including a one-stroke loss to McIlroy at the CJ Cup, Kitayama's victory saw him rewarded for his perseverance.

Speaking afterwards, McIlroy was happy to sing the praises of his fellow player, while acknowledging he was frustrated to have come up shy after just missing his putt at the final hole.

"I think [Kitayama] has been playing pretty well," McIlroy said. "He's sort of persevered and played wherever he could get starts.

"All of a sudden, he's won one of the biggest events on the PGA Tour, so good for him.

"It's disappointing. To play the final five holes in one over par, with this jam-packed leaderboard, isn't really going to get it done.

"It was a battle all day. I felt like I hung in there really well and just came up one short in the end."

Kitayama qualified for The Open with his victory and will hope to finally have an impact on a major. He was tied for 72nd last year.

"Last year was special, with it being at St Andrews," he said. "The Open Championship is a really cool experience.

"I haven't done well, but I've just got to try to keep getting myself back in it and keep getting better."