Rory McIlroy Reveals Tiger Woods Sent Him a Comforting Text After U.S. Open Collapse — but He Changed His Number

Golf champion Rory Mcllroy almost didn’t realize that golf legend Tiger Woods sent him words of encouragement via text message after his U.S. Open collapse — all because he changed his phone number.

Mcllroy, 35, revealed July 16 that he changed his phone number just a few days after the U.S. Open, thus missing the comforting text Woods sent him, according to ESPN.

"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 said.

It wasn’t until he saw Woods at The Open at Royal Troon Golf Club that he was able to thank him. "I was like, 'Oh, thanks very much.' So, I blanked Tiger Woods, which is probably not a good thing," Mcllroy said, per the outlet.

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But thankfully, the pair have a long-standing friendship, which dates back to when McIlroy was just 15 years old. Mcllroy said Woods is his “hero” who has always been “incredible” to him.

"Tiger has been nothing but incredible to me over the course of my career in the good moments and the bad," he said.

"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," Mcllroy added.

Speaking on Tuesday about McIlroy's difficult second-place finish last month, Woods said, "We all lose… 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."

Woods and Mcllroy will next compete in the Open Championship in Scotland, which begins on Thursday, July 18.