Another McIlroy collapse! Frustrated star disappeared in seven minutes after U.S. Open

Irish golfer Rory McIlroy had to endure a bitter second place finish at the 124th U.S. Open late last week. In the final round, it appeared he might be the only one to lose his first major title in a decade. And that’s exactly what happened. A missed key putt opened the way for his opponents, allowing Bryson DeChambeau to celebrate his second career U.S. Open victory.

Under normal circumstances, a second place finish at the U.S. Open would be an excellent achievement. Only it couldn’t have been for Rory McIlroy. The now thirty-five-year-old pro enters every major tournament as if it were his last. With the utmost determination to win. He makes extreme demands on himself, a major tournament title weighs more heavily on him than anything else.

He came so close! At the start of the final round, he was three shots behind the late winner Bryson DeChambeau, but by the 13th hole he was two up. He had just made a string of four birdies in five holes. It looked like he was finally going to get his chance to return to the golden throne after many years. A smile on his face, everything was sunshine.

But as it happens in golf, big tournaments are often decided on the last few holes. And it’s that passage of the tournament that has broken McIlroy’s neck several times in the past. The Irish crowd favourite subsequently played bogeys on holes 15, 16 and 18 to hand the key to the golden gate to his opponent.

What’s even more piquant about the whole result is that McIlroy was beaten by Bryson DeChambeau, who left the PGA Tour some time ago to join the LIV Golf League. McIlroy has shown a lot of ill-feeling towards these players in the past, who decided to defect in pursuit of a financially interesting offer, funded by a public Saudi fund.

A few moments and his confidence was gone

Rory McIlroy was one hole ahead in the final round, so he could only watch his former American teammate’s finish from the clubhouse. He was very cranky when he saw DeChambeau’s superb finish. So cranky that he disappeared like steam over a pot when the tournament was over.

The U.S. Open ended at 18:38. By 19:29, McIlroy was in his car driving away from the clubhouse while DeChambeau celebrated to the overwhelming cheers of the home fans around the eighteenth green. No handshakes, no conversation, no reaction to the surroundings. He just got on and disappeared.

“I justtry to be as composed as I can be,” McIroy told The Athletic during the tournament. That could be characterized for the entire 71 holes. But then the routine putts stopped working. Along came unexpected mistakes, losses and a fatal collapse that will likely characterize McIlroy in the weeks, maybe months, maybe years to come.

Golf once again showed its cruelty. The TV commentators put it nicely live during the final round: “Now nobody can beat McIlroy, now McIlroy can beat himself.” That’s exactly what happened.

McIlroy will rest. Will he come back stronger?

The only statement that came from the 2011 U.S. Open champion was the following day on his social media: “Yesterday was a challenging day, probably the most challenging I’ve experienced in my almost 17 years as a professional golfer,” McIlroy wrote.

He then congratulated the old U.S. Open winner, saying, “He’sa worthy champion and is exactly what professional golf needs right now. I think we can all agree on that.” He then summed up his tenure at the tournament and ended by informing fans that he would be taking a break from competitive golf for a while.

“I’m going to take a few weeks off from the game to process everything and get back on my feet for the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon. See you in Scotland!” he concluded. It is at The Open that McIlroy will have another chance to win his fifth career major. His last one was at the PGA Championship in 2014.

But otherwise, McIlroy has finished in the top 10 at the U.S. Open six years in a row, the last time Jack Nicklaus did it from 1977 to 1982. Overall, the Irish phenom has finished in the top 10 at majors twenty-one times in a row since his last win. That’s the most of any player. In all tables, McIlroy is first in the current rankings, although the dust is settling on his last Grand Slam.

Source: PGA Tour, The Athletic