Rory McIlroy will be haunted forever by the late collapse which cost him a glorious opportunity to end his majors drought at the US Open at Pinehurst, says six-time major winner Sir Nick Faldo.
Four birdies in the space of five holes from the ninth had given McIlroy a two-shot lead as he chased a fifth major title and a first since 2014, only for the world number three to falter by dropping shots at three of the last four holes.
That agonising finish for the Northern Irishman included missed par putts of two feet, six inches and three feet, nine inches on the 16th and 18th respectively, allowing Bryson DeChambeau to claim his second US Open title with a brilliant par save from a bunker on the last.
Speaking on Sky Sports, six-time major winner Faldo said: “That’s going to haunt Rory for the rest of his life, those two misses.”
McIlroy did not speak to media after spurning a wonderful opportunity to end his quest for a first major win since taking victory in the USPGA Championship in August 2014.
His next chance to end that streak will come at the Open Championship at Royal Troon from 18-21 July.
The Northern Irishman has already won the Dubai Desert Classic and the Wells Fargo Championship on the DP World Tour and PGA Tour respectively this season.
DeChambeau, who plays on the LIV Golf tour, expressed sympathy for his beaten rival after celebrating his success on the 18th green.
“For him to miss that putt [on 18], I would never wish that on anybody,” said the American after his final-round 71 helped him finish six under par, one shot ahead of McIlroy and two better off than compatriots Patrick Cantlay and Tony Finau.
“I think that fire in him is only going to continue to grow. He’s going to win more major championships.
“I have nothing but respect for how he plays the game of golf because, to be honest, when he was climbing up the leaderboard, he was two ahead, I was like, ‘uh-oh, uh-oh’. But luckily things went my way.”
DeChambeau went one better after finishing second to Xander Schauffele in the USPGA last month, losing out by one shot despite posting a 20-under-par total.
“Oh, man, I didn’t want to finish second again. The PGA really stung,” he said.
“That bunker shot was the shot of my life.
He continued: “I don’t know what to think. It fully hasn’t sunk in yet. I just want everybody to enjoy it, as well. As much as it is heartbreaking for some people, it was heartbreak for me at the PGA. I really wanted this one.”
Source Agencies
