The way that Rory McIlroy behaved after losing to Bryson DeChambeau at the US Open says a lot.
Bryson DeChambeau was taken aback and perplexed when Rory McIlroy hurried out of Pinehurst No. 2 without extending his congratulations for his thrilling victory at the US Open. In pursuit of his first major trophy in a decade, the 35-year-old endured heartbreak after an amazing late collapse that gave DeChambeau the victory.
With five holes remaining, McIlroy was up two strokes, but he lost three of his next four shots and missed two short putts, including the final one from three feet away.
Then, on the 18th, he was caught on camera witnessing DeChambeau confirm the win on a TV inside before he collapsed out of the room, looking distraught.
Before DeChambeau had signed his scorecard, McIlroy reportedly made a beeline for his courtesy car with his teammates and began a quick trip to Moore County Airport, according to The Telegraph.
Shortly after his opponent’s four-foot pot to win his second US Open, the Northern Irishman is reported to have been heading towards Florida in his private jet.
According to reports, McIlroy was already in the air when DeChambeau began his champion’s press conference.
The 30-year-old allegedly asked officials where he was after the incident and was shocked to hear that he had left right away without saying “congratulations.”
DeChambeau was taken aback by the news, as he had experienced a similar outcome in the USPGA last month—losing to Xander Schauffele by a single stroke—but he had remained at Valhalla to greet the winner.
Having not missed a putt from the same distance in almost 500 tries on the PGA Tour in 2024, McIlroy would have been plagued by nightmares after his three-foot miss on the eighteenth hole.
Even his putting coach, Brad Faxon, a former US Ryder Cup player, acknowledged that he worries about being overwhelmed by the pressure of winning a fifth major.
“Over the past ten years, no one has put more pressure on him. As an NBC analyst, Faxon stated, “Everyone in the world knows Rory hasn’t won a major since 2014.”
“I believe that’s how this occurred—the poorly placed short putts there on 16 and 18 in particular. How you manage to get through this, I have no idea. It’s extremely difficult.”
It’s possible that DeChambeau was disappointed not to win McIlroy’s respect following his second US Open victory in four years.
However, he expressed sympathy for the 2011 winner and emphasized that he would continue to build on his four major victories, which included the US Open, two PGA Championships, and one The Open Championship.
DeChambeau remarked, “I would never wish it on anybody for him to miss that putt.
“Rory will take home several more significant titles. Without a doubt. I believe that fire within him will only get stronger.”
