Rory McIlroy’s US Open drought continues: What went wrong? Will he ever win another major? | golf news

Rory McIlroy’s pre-tournament prediction that he was “closer than ever” to ending his major drought came true at the US Open, although it was still not enough to claim the elusive victory.

McIlroy stood on the 14th tee at Pinehurst No. 2 on Sunday two strokes ahead of overnight leader Bryson DeChambeau and in prime position to win a first major title in 3,598 days, only to leave the course less 90 minutes later, having let victory slip away. grasp.

The Northern Irishman failed to get up and down from just outside the green to save par on the par-three 15th and then inexplicably missed from within a meter on the next one, the first putt in 497 attempts he has missed from that distance in his entire career. season. Consecutive bogeys left him tied for the lead.

McIlroy hit an errant drive off the final tee and failed to convert his par putt from less than four feet, dropping him back to five under par and leaving him watching in disbelief as DeChambeau snatched victory from him in dramatic fashion.

The latest major near-miss is McIlroy’s second consecutive US Open finish and part of a streak of six consecutive top 10s at the event without success, with the former world number one still seeking a fifth major victory and first. since the 2014 PGA Championship.

None of McIlroy’s 21 top 10s in majors since that one-shot victory at Valhalla have come closer to returning to the winner’s circle than this latest effort, leaving him stuck in the total of four majors he’s been to. stranded in the past. decade.

A visibly upset McIlroy refused to speak to the media after the round and had already left the property before DeChambeau lifted the US Open trophy for the second time, and the latest heartbreak only raised more questions about when, or if, will claim another. important title.

Did McIlroy struggle under pressure?

Six-time major winner Sir Nick Faldo feared the latest big disappointment could “haunt Rory for the rest of his life”, with McIlroy’s hopes dashed after three bogeys in the final four holes of his final round.

“Nobody’s had more pressure on him in the last 10 years,” McIlroy’s putting coach, Brad Faxon, said on Golf Channel. “Everyone knows he hasn’t won a major since 2014. I think that’s how it happened: missed short putts on 16, certainly on 18. I don’t know how you get over that. It’s really difficult.”

Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley added: “That element of doubt came in. He started backing off, which he never does. He took a little bit longer on the putts, which he never does. That’s pressure and he succumbed. to her.

“(It’s) a devastating loss for any player, not just Rory. It’s absolutely devastating. Rory has failed down the stretch.”

Same old story for McIlroy?

McIlroy’s second-place finish in North Carolina follows him finishing second to Wyndham Clark in Los Angeles 12 months earlier, and the 35-year-old also took a share of the lead on the final day of the Open in 2022 before finishing third in St. Andrew.

“He’s had opportunities to win three majors in the last two years and he hasn’t missed them because his swing left him at the wrong time,” McGinley told Golf Channel. “He lost them because his putt was slow and because when he had opportunities he didn’t take advantage of the initiative.

“Last year at the US Open, he came back at one over par. You saw it at Quail Hollow (Wells Fargo Championship) and he just takes the opportunity, takes advantage of it, runs the distance, kills his opponents and wins.

“He knows how to do it and there is enough golf to kill opponents and win tournaments. The difference in major championships is that when the initiative is presented to him, he doesn’t run away.”

What did McIlroy do wrong?

McIlroy hit a seven-iron on the par-three 15th and went long off the green, resulting in bogey, before three-putting on the 16th and having to fight for a par from the sand on the 17th before the drama of the hole. final.

The 2011 US Open champion then hit driver on the 18th hole, having used three woods the day before, causing him to miss the green in regulation. He made a well-judged chip from close to the green, but then failed to make the putt to maintain his share of the lead.

“It wasn’t bad golf, he missed a few putts, and it will be a bitter pill to swallow for him,” said four-time major winner Dame Laura Davies. “He probably hit the wrong club on 15, that started the problems. The miss on 16 was inexplicable, then the one on 18 I don’t think was necessarily a bad putt.

“He’ll be remembered for his two putts, but he played incredible golf to get to four under par at one point. You can take heart from the fact that he put himself in position again.”

Coltart added: “Wayne Riley again clarified why he was hitting driver off the tee on the last shot. It’s the most important shot and will potentially change his career, but he had to find the fairway.

“There were only 13 bogeys on that hole all day, so it wasn’t the hardest hole if you found the fairway. For some reason he wanted to go for driver, he obviously felt that gave him the best chance and the rest is history.” . “.

McIlroy’s reasons for greater optimism?

McIlroy has already won three times this season – on the DP World Tour, at the Hero Dubai Desert Classic before back-to-back PGA Tour titles at the Zurich Classic in New Orleans and the Wells Fargo Championship – and is back ahead of Xander Schauffele as world champion. No 2.

When McIlroy blew a four-shot lead on the final day of the 2011 Masters, he rebounded impressively (in his next major start) to claim a wire-to-wire victory at the US Open and his first major title.

McIlroy will hope for a similar resolution next month when he heads to the Open at Royal Troon, a venue where he claimed to be tied for fifth in 2016 and a major in which he has finished worse than sixth in six of his last eight appearances.

Victory would break the previous longest wait between a fourth and fifth major title, currently held by Peter Thompson at seven years, although failure would extend McIlroy’s great drought to another season.

McIlroy will have another chance to complete his career Grand Slam next April at The Masters, while the 2025 PGA Championship will be held at Quail Hollow, a venue where he earned his first PGA Tour title and has won four times. the Wells Fargo Championship. .

The US Open returns to Oakmont for the first time since 2016 and the Open is back at Royal Portrush, where McIlroy battled to a first-round 79 and then broke down in tears after missing the cut at home in 2019.

Sir Henry Cotton, Julius Boros, Hale Irwin and Ben Crenshaw have endured 11-year waits between major victories, and Tiger Woods ended a drought of similar length when he claimed his 15th major title with a one-stroke victory at The Masters in 2019.

If McIlroy leaves Northern Ireland next July still without another major to his name, any future success would result in the longest gap between major victories in history. If he doesn’t get over that line soon, the bigger scars will only deepen.

Watch Rory McIlroy in PGA Tour and DP World Tour action live this season on Sky Sports. The 152nd Open at Royal Troon takes place from July 18-21 on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the PGA Tour, majors and more with NOW.