Shane Lowry has requested that people be kind to Rory McIlroy after his poor ending at the US Open last weekend.
McIlroy was on course for his first major in 10 years at Pinehurst last Sunday but blew a two-shot lead with five holes to play, handing victory to Bryson DeChambeau.
The Northern Irishman's quest for a fifth major is one of the most widely talked-about subjects in golf, and last weekend's collapse will hurt more than ever.
McIlroy's search for another big golf title will continue, and so will the accusations that he doesn't have the bottle to win the big prizes again.
Lowry, who knows McIlroy better than most, has urged people not to be too hard on McIlroy after his US Open collapse.
"From the outside looking in, this game is easy," said Lowry on Instagram this week. "But in reality, it’s the worst game of all. We are very fortunate to get what we do from this game, but over the last 24 hours, it’s hit me.
"We do it for not only ourselves but also for our family, friends, and fans. What Rory has gone through is as tough as it gets in our game, but I would like to encourage people to, if anything, please be kind."
McIlroy, speaking also on Monday, confirmed that the loss was probably the toughest of his career to date.
"Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I've had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer," he said.
"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."
Despite losing, McIlroy stated in the same statement that he feels another major is right around the corner and will be back when the Scottish open comes around.
"As I said at the start of the tournament, I feel closer to winning my next major championship than I ever have," he added.
"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.
"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. See you in Scotland."
