Rory McIlroy has broken his silence a day after choking on a golden opportunity to end a 10-year major drought.
In one of the most dramatic conclusions to a major in years, McIlroy held a two-stroke lead with a handful of holes to play at the US Open, but two missed short putts in the final three holes cost him a drought-ending victory.
He had, to that point, made 496 of 496 putts inside three-feet since the start of the year, and lost the tournament to Bryson DeChambeau by one shot.
READ MORE: ‘Not happy’: Eels lodge bizarre mascot complaint
READ MORE: Bizarre contract call revealed after quiet Dusty milestone
READ MORE: Super Rugby in shock with player dead at 25
Immediately after DeChambeau sunk his winning par putt – which gifted McIlroy access to the club of major chokers alongside the likes of Greg Norman and Jean van de Velde – McIlroy loaded his clubs into an SUV and departed the Pinehurst No.2 carpark in a cloud of dust and disappointment.
Rory McIlroy blew a two-shot lead late in the final round of the US Open. Getty
Speaking on Spy Sports’ coverage of the tournament in the UK, six-time major winner Nick Faldo said those two missed putts would “haunt Rory for the rest of his life”.
For fleeing the scene apparently without shaking DeChambeau’s hand, McIlroy has perhaps rightly come under fire.
He was variously described as “weak”, “chickenshit”, and other colourful adjectives for his decision to flee the course rather than congratulating his opponent.
Norman famously blew a six-stroke lead in the final round of the 1996 Masters. Van de Velde needed only a double bogey on the final hole of the 1999 British Open at Carnoustie to win. He carded a triple-bogey seven and lost in a playoff.
In a statement on X, formerly Twitter, on Tuesday morning (AEST), McIlroy indeed said he would “rue” the putts on the 16th and 18th greens.
“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. As I said at the start of the tournament, I feel closer to winning my next major championship than I ever have.”
This was McIlroy’s sixth consecutive US Open top-10, the first player to do that since Jack Nicklaus between 1977 and 1982. Nicklaus won it in 1980.
But even more mind-blowing is that he’s the first to have a streak that long, and for one of those finishes not to be a win, in 114 years. Jack Hobens was the last to do that between 1905-1910.
When McIlroy won the 2011 US Open by a whopping eight strokes over Jason Day, he was in the form of his career. It was the first of four major wins in the next four years. Unthinkable at the time, his one-stroke win over Phil Mickelson at the 2014 PGA Championship was his last major victory to-date.
While his other major chances since then have been snatched away by brilliant performances by other players – Cameron Smith at the 2022 British Open at St Andrews for example – this one was all his own doing.
Starting the day with a three-stroke lead, DeChambeau did everything he could to lose the title, until McIlroy gave it right back.
McIlroy after making his final bogey on the 18th. Getty
There are several reasons McIlroy has arguably the most pressure on him at majors. Not least of all is this decade-long drought.
He’s also one of the most vocal in the ongoing LIV-PGA Tour debate, and holds a player advisory role in the ongoing merger negotiations between the two parties.
His marriage has also been in headlines. Ahead of the PGA Championship in May, McIlroy announced he had filed for an “amicable” divorce from wife of seven-years Erica Stroll, their marriage “irretrievably broken”.
But ahead of the US Open, they announced McIlroy’s attorney had filed to dismiss the divorce and the couple had “resolved (their) differences”.
It’s been a rollercoaster.
“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,” McIlroy said on X.
“I’m going to take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back u for my defense of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon.
“See you in Scotland.”