"I probably got about 10 or 15 text" - Rory McIlroy details why he changed his phone number

Rory McIlroy ghosted Tiger Woods on the phone, but it was not intentional. He revealed that he had changed his phone number for some space after the US Open.

McIlroy is at Royal Troon this week for the Open Championship 2024, which tees off on Thursday, July 18. He is looking to win his first major championship in more than ten years.

On Tuesday, July 16, Rory McIlroy addressed the media ahead of the Open Championship. During the press conference, he revealed how he missed Tiger Woods' text due to the phone number switch. He had changed his number after the US Open loss but didn't inform the 15-time major champion. He also detailed why he switched his phone number. He said:

"Honestly, from the time I left Pinehurst to the time I walked through my front door on Sunday night, I probably got about 10 or 15 text messages from media members, and I was like, it's probably time to get a new number. Create a bit of space."

Earlier, he had revealed how Rafael Nadal and Michael Jordan also sent him texts after his heartbreaking defeat to Bryson DeChambeau at the US Open. He also spoke about missing Tiger's text.

"Full disclosure, I changed my number two days after the US Open," he said. "So I didn't get it until he told me about it today. I was like, oh, thanks very much. So I blanked Tiger Woods, which is probably not a good thing."

Rory McIlroy said that he shared a great relationship with the 82-time PGA Tour winner since he first met him at the age of 15. He also revealed that he had previously received Tiger's text after his loss at the 2022 Open Championship.

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

He concluded that it is always good to receive words of encouragement from his hero.

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"One of my childhood dreams was to meet Tiger Woods" Rory McIlroy reflects on his relationship with golf legend

During the press conference, Rory McIlroy spoke about how grateful he is to be friends with Tiger Woods, his childhood hero. He said he reminds himself of this every day and doesn't take for granted that he can wake up and live his childhood dream.

"One of my childhood dreams was to meet Tiger Woods, but not only that, to compete against him and to befriend him and become close to him."

He added that he wouldn't have thought in his wildest dreams that he would be friends with the all-time legend. He concluded that he was grateful for building a great relationship with Woods.