- Sartorially suave alpaca sneezes on King Charles
- In a first, France welcomes Russian army deserters
- Storm Oscar hits eastern Cuba as island grapples with blackout
- New Zealand basks in 'golden 48 hours' after sporting triumphs
- UN biodiversity summit opens with call for 'significant' funding
- Dodgers beat Mets to set World Series showdown with Yankees
- Liberty rally to top Lynx in overtime for WNBA title
- US, Canada warships pass through Taiwan Strait
- Asian markets fluctuate as traders digest China rate cut
- Naomi Osaka season over because of injury
- Toll from attack in India-controlled Kashmir rises to seven: reports
- Simmering Bellingham set for Dortmund reunion in Champions League
- World Cup winner Kerr thanks 'grandmas' for T20 inspiration
- Dortmund identity crisis ahead of European rematch with Real Madrid
- China's central bank cuts two key rates to boost economy
- BHP goes on trial in London over 2015 toxic Brazil mine disaster
- Pakistan passes constitutional amendments aimed at courts
- Fungi finding: mushroom hunters seek new species and recognition
- Beware: US election disinformation masked as 'breaking news'
- Celtics seek repeat, Lebron and son unite as NBA season opens
- Poston holds off Ghim for PGA Tour triumph in Las Vegas
- Unbeaten Chiefs march past 49ers, Lions hand Vikings first loss
- Moldova president blames interference for potential EU referendum loss
- King Charles to spotlight conflict, climate in Australian capital
- UN chief seeks 'significant' funding at summit to save nature
- Hurricane Oscar makes landfall in Cuba amid huge power outage
- McLaren blast 'inappropriate' penalty as Norris F1 title hopes hit
- La Rochelle bounce back against Bordeaux-Begles
- Lethal Lewandowski helps Barca rout Sevilla, Atletico triumph
- Leclerc wins US Grand Prix as Norris, Verstappen clash
- Moldovans vote 'no' in referendum on joining EU: partial results
- Lewandowski powers five-star Barca to Sevilla rout
- Lions hand Vikings first loss, Packers down Texans
- In escalation, Israel bombs Hezbollah-linked finance group
- Martinez keeps Inter on Napoli's tail with Roma winner
- Marseille return to form with Montpellier thrashing
- Lula cancels trip to summit in Russia after injuring head
- Cuba girds for Hurricane Oscar with electricity supply still down
- Harris celebrates birthday at Georgia churches as Trump serves McDonald's
- One dead as flooding hits Italy's northeast flatlands
- Browns quarterback Watson exits with Achilles tendon injury
- Liverpool 'showed up' to beat Chelsea challenge: Slot
- 'Once in a lifetime' Kerr leads New Zealand to Women's T20 World Cup triumph
- Pope names 14 new saints, including martyrs of Damascus
- Malinin captures third straight Skate America crown
- Sri Lanka triumph in rain-affected first ODI against West Indies
- Moldovans flock to vote in key tests on EU future
- Liverpool pass Chelsea test to reclaim Premier League top spot
- Kerr leads New Zealand to maiden Women's T20 World Cup triumph
- Tens of thousands rally in Georgia for EU ahead of pivotal vote
McIlroy taking break from golf after 'toughest' day
Rory McIlroy said Monday he plans to take a break from golf after describing his epic US Open collapse as probably the "toughest" day of his professional career.
In his first public comments since his meltdown at Pinehurst on Sunday that allowed Bryson DeChambeau to claim a one-shot victory, McIlroy said his next event will be the July 11-14 Scottish Open, the warm-up for the British Open.
"Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I've had in my nearly 17 years as professional golfer," said McIlroy, who has withdrawn from this week's Travelers Championship in Connecticut.
McIlroy, who left Pinehurst swiftly on Sunday without speaking to media, squandered a two-shot lead with five holes to play, making bogeys on three of the last four holes to surrender a winning position to DeChambeau.
Two of McIlroy's bogeys came from missed putts of less than four feet.
It was the latest agonising near-miss for McIlroy in his attempts to end a decade-long pursuit of a fifth major. McIlroy now has 21 top-10 finishes, including four runner-ups, since his last major in 2014.
The 35-year-old from Northern Ireland insisted however that he believed the positives outweighed the negatives from his US Open disaster.
"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," McIlroy said. "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 close 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.
"I'm going to take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up for my defense of the Genesis Scottish Open and the Open at Royal Troon.
"See you in Scotland."
McIlroy meanwhile paid tribute to the charismatic DeChambeau, describing the American LIV Golf player as a worthy US Open champion.
"I'd like to congratulate Bryson," McIlroy said. "He is a worthy champion and exactly what professional golf needs right now. I think we can all agree on that."
P.Silva--AMWN