Rory McIlroy looked set to end his 10-year wait for a fifth major, but the Northern Irishman fell short in his final round after a painful finish
Rory McIlroy decided not to follow his own advice as he faced the 72nd hole of the US Open this week and painfully lost the title by one stroke to Bryson DeChambeau.
McIlroy put himself in a great position to win his first major since 2014 when he took a two-shot lead down the hole at Pinehurst No. 5 in 2. However, it turned out to be a last ditch effort. Bogeying the 15th and 16th – which included a missed putt from three feet.
Despite the stuttering run, the Northern Irishman, who was ahead of DeChambeau in the group, was still six under at one hole as he headed to the 18th tee.
To the surprise of many, however, McIlroy decided to hit the driver on the last hole. Something he hasn’t done in the past three rounds after playing three-wood the entire tournament. The next drive went wide left, leaving the 35-year-old from Pinehurst in all kinds of trouble.
McIlroy had to hit to the left of the fairway, leaving him on the green. He continued to play with a solid chip shot to the green, leaving him just six feet short of par. After missing two holes earlier, the same fate followed on 18 and it cost him dearly.
DeChambeau hit too much driver, but unlike McIlroy, he was able to get up and down a major bunker shot for the American to take the trophy. There’s no doubt that McIlroy’s two short missed putts will be hard for him to forget, but he may regret his shot at 18.
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Speaking earlier this week, the PGA Tour star admitted his plan was to play “boring golf” to win his 5th championship. “Honestly, it’s what I would call boring at the time,” said the 2011 US Open champion.
“Explosiveness can’t win the US Open. This is a more systematic result for four days and accepting it. To be honest, it’s more of a mindset change than anything else.“ McIlroy looked visibly disappointed as he signed the card after DeChambeau’s victory.
Afterwards, the four-time champion decided to skip all media engagements and quickly left the Pinehurst venue. The 35 .-year-old will need to dust himself off quickly in the next day or two as he is committed to next week’s Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands.
