Rory McIlroy Needs Break ‘Mentally,’ Taking 2 Weeks Off in U.K.

Rory McIlroy is hoping to find solace across the pond after a chaotic and controversial couple of months stateside.

McIlroy, 36, is taking two weeks off after he finished in a tie for sixth place at the Travelers Championship in Cromwell, Connecticut, over the weekend. 

“I think more so than anything else it’ll just be good for me mentally to take a little bit of a break and get back to my neck of the woods, get back to the U.K. for a little bit,” McIlroy told reporters after his final round on Sunday, June 22. 

McIlroy and his wife, Erica Stoll, are currently in the process of building a new mansion in England. The couple, who share daughter Poppy, 4, plan to split time between the U.K. and their Florida home. 

“I’m excited for that and I’ve alluded to the fact I probably haven’t taken enough time off or time to reflect after what happened in April,” McIlroy added, referring to his first Masters win. “So I’m excited to do a little bit of that over these next two weeks.”

The first place finish marked the first Masters Tournament victory for McIlroy, making him just the sixth golfer in history to win the career grand slam. 

The Irish golfer hasn’t finished inside the top five in any of the six tournaments he’s played since. 

After finishing in a tie for 19th place at the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club earlier this month, McIlroy admitted his life has been a balancing act in the wake of his Masters win.

“I feel like I live two different lives,” he told reporters after his final round. “I’m a dad and a husband when I’m away from here, and then I’m who I am when I’m here. It’s always nice to get away and feel a bit of normality.’’

While his results are one thing, McIlroy’s behavior has also earned criticism from many fans and golf insiders. At the U.S. Open, McIlroy was seen destroying a tee marker and later hurling his club down the fairway.

McIlroy has also made a habit of refusing to speak to the media on certain occasions, which led Irish golf legend Paul McGinley to speculate about McIlroy’s state of mind. 

“He looks fed up to me,” McGinley said after the U.S. Open, according to GOLF.com. “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.”

McIlroy will return to action at the Genesis Scottish Open at The Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scotland, which begins on July 10.