In the worst possible way, four-time major champion Rory McIlroy lost the U.S. Open championship on Sunday night when he misjudged a par putt from two feet away on the 18th hole.
Rory McIlroy narrowly missed out on winning the U.S. Open championship on Sunday night, and he now stands just inches short of being a five-time major champion.
Coming into championship Sunday, the Northern Irishman was only three shots behind the lead, Bryson DeChambeau, after an incredible four days of play. He began the last round as he intended to finish, making a birdie on the opening hole before progressively cutting into the American’s lead.
It looked as though he would finally end his ten-year drought and win a major when he took the lead by two shots on the 13th hole. But for the 2011 champion, that was the beginning of the nightmare. On the sixteenth hole, McIlroy let DeChambeau back into the match with a par putt from three feet, but the final hole would cause him even more suffering.
Beginning the eighteenth hole with DeChambeau at six under par, McIlroy mishit his tee shot, landing in a sand and nettle nest. He managed to get back up and reach within two feet of the hole, but his putt rolled out from behind and kissed the cup’s rim, leaving him with a tap-in for bogey. Ace player for LIV Golf DeChambeau made his putt for par and decisively won the title.
McIlroy left the scene quickly, leaving Sky Sports pundits Wayne Riley and Dame Laura Davies wondering what in the world had happened to give him the putting yips. “This is a tap-in, it’s inexplicable,” stated Davies. It only goes to show how difficult it is to win a golf competition, much less the US Open, on the toughest test they’ve likely faced in a long time. Sometimes things just don’t work out in the end.
Will it cause him pain? Since it’s such a disappointing loss, it really could. By the time he was eight [under], we all believed he had it.
Davies didn’t mince words either, stating: “You should be holing them, but he missed two short three-footers, or however long they are. The greens are fine; they move quickly, but everyone is shocked that he overlooked them.
“I thought he’d over the line today, but he’s been there, done that, and won four majors, so now we’re all wondering if this will hurt Rory McIlroy in the future.” I hope not, but it was depressing to witness.
Even though pundits and commentators criticized McIlroy, the recently crowned champion had nothing but kind things to say about his rival. In his post-round press conference, DeChambeau stated: “Yes, Rory is among the greatest players in history.
It is truly exceptional to be able to battle such a great. I would never wish that on anybody, including him, to miss that putt. That’s just how things turned out.
“He’ll take home several more significant titles. Without a doubt. I believe the fire within him will only intensify further. I have the utmost respect for the way he plays golf because, to be honest, I was like, “Uh-oh, uh-oh,” when he was two ahead on the leaderboard. But fortunately, today went well for me.”
This week, McIlroy will play in the Traveller’s Championship, a PGA Tour main event, in an effort to move past the destruction he caused on Sunday as soon as possible.
