Rory McIlroy’s major misery continued as he cursed two missed shots that derailed his US Open championship, even as he beat Bryson DeChambeau.
McIlroy had erased DeChambeau’s three-shot lead with consecutive spectacular birdies, and was ahead by one shot with three holes remaining in the final round — then disaster struck.
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The Northern Irishman – who called off his divorce from wife Erica Stoll earlier in the week – missed a two-and-a-half-foot shot for par on the 16th hole, and watched in horror as his ball hit the edge of the hole and rolled out.
And it was the same story at the end, when McIlroy missed a par putt from inside four feet, giving his opponent an unexpected lease of life.
It meant DeChambeau only had to make par on the final two holes to win a tournament he must have thought had slipped from his grasp – and the big-shot American accomplished the task, while McIlroy’s ten-year wait for a fifth major continued.
After playing the first 14 holes in four under par, McIlroy bogeyed three of the last four holes — a slump he won’t be able to afford.
No one could have predicted this dramatic turn of events, as McIlroy got off to the perfect start, holed a twenty-footer for birdie on the first round to reduce DeChambeau’s lead to three shots heading into the final round.
That sent a message to the big-shot American, who must have heard the sound of McIlroy’s putt disappearing into the hole on the tee.
And when DeChambeau became the first player to hole out, the lead was down to just one point — leading to a mess on the dangerous fourth hole.
His bogey dropped him to six under, and McIlroy had a chance to join him on that number as he was the first to play the fifth, the easiest hole on the course.
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A 340-yard drive from the middle of the fairway was the ideal start. But he suffered a cruel stroke of luck when his second shot from 236 yards hit the green – but rolled off the wrong front and landed in a horrible spot on the sandy wasteland.
His chip shot landed in a greenside bunker and he walked away shaking his head as a bogey-six left him two behind.
McIlroy hasn’t always responded well to such setbacks. But this time, the response was good.
He made superb par saves on the seventh and eighth, and then holed a 15-footer for birdie on the short ninth. That meant he started the back nine just one shot behind, and the elusive fifth major was so close it seemed to him.
DeChambeau had made three more birdies through the first 54 holes than anyone else in the field after not having a single birdie through the first nine.
He had to change the head on his driver shortly before hitting his tee shot, and it turned out he was having a hard time keeping the ball on the planet.
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DeChambeau laughed nervously when asked about his “salty balls.”
The world’s top golfers enjoy incredible lifestyles – and their wags lead thrilling lives, too.
Here are some of the most high-profile beauties…
- A masters golfer rushed home after his recent victory to be with his wife, who was about to give birth to their first child.
- Playing with a three handicap, the sports journalist can give tough competition to her peers.
- This down-to-earth beauty married a superstar golfer in front of Stevie Wonder, Chris Martin and Niall Horan.
- A former gymnast, she has been her husband’s support for 14 years – he even has a tribute to her on his golf balls.
As the only other par fifth at Pinehurst, the par tenth gave McIlroy a chance to put even more pressure on DeChambeau.
But after finding every fairway on the front nine he sliced his tee shot into a sandy waste, and his third shot left him more than 26 feet from the flag — and he did an emphatic fist pump as he buried the birdie putt!
DeChambeau eventually birdied the same hole with a 5-footer to retake the lead.
It had the feel of a Ryder Cup-style match play shootout, and the 12th hole proved to be the deciding factor.
McIlroy regained par with another birdie putt from twenty feet out, while DeChambeau’s wild drive led to a bogey five – a two-shot swing that gave the Northern Irishman the solo lead for the first time.
Read more at The Scottish Sun
It was the first time he was leading in a major since his 15th Open at St Andrews two years ago. He messed up in the final round by being too cautious that time
But this Rory seemed a very different player, more focused and confident – an impression that sadly proved misleading after that dramatic finale.
Rory McIlroy’s career achievements
by Ian Tuckey
Rory McIlroy has spent more than 100 weeks at No. 1 in the world – and has won four majors and 40 tournaments to date.
Only all-time greats Jack Nicklaus and Tiger Woods have matched his feat of winning one of the Big Four titles by the age of 25.
And after winning the US Open in 2011, the Northern Irishman also won the PGA Championship the following year – and added both Open and PGA crowns in 2014.
Here’s a look at the illustrious career of the 35-year-old, a five-time Ryder Cup winner, who was also a strong critic of the rival Saudi-backed LIV Tour:
- 2007 – Topped the World Amateur Rankings at age 17.
Turned professional in September.
Became the youngest affiliate member to receive a tour card in the history of the European Tour.
- 2009 – Reached world top 50.
- 2010 – Won his first PGA Tour title at the Quail Hollow Championship.
Made a winning start to the Ryder Cup.
Became the youngest player to reach $10 million in earnings on the PGA Tour.
- 2011 – Loses a four-stroke lead on the final day of the Masters in May.
But the following month he won his first major title – the US Open.
Named Player of the Year by Ireland’s main broadcaster RTE.
- 2012 – Won the PGA Championship.
Won the PGA Tour Player of the Year title and also achieved glory in the Ryder Cup.
- 2013 – Signs a huge sponsorship deal with Nike.
- 2014 – His best year yet in terms of majors.
Won the Open at Royal Liverpool.
He then won the first of two consecutive PGA Titles, defeating Phil Mickelson by one stroke.
Awarded RTE Sports Person of the Year for the second time.
Again helped Europe win the Ryder Cup.
- 2016 – Finishes the season by winning the Tour Championship, which puts him on top of the FedEx Cup standings and earns him a $10 million bonus pool.
Had to face defeat in the Ryder Cup.
- 2017 – Failed to win throughout the year.
But finished in the top 10 at the Masters, The Open, and 3 WGC events.
And when Nike withdrew the majority of their share from the golf market, they signed an £80 million deal with TaylorMade.
Jon Rahm will be in Nashville for the ninth round of LIV Golf- 2018 – More Ryder Cup fun.
- 2020 Overtakes Brooks Koepka to become world No. 1
- 2021 – Lost the Ryder Cup.
- 2022 – Finished runner-up at the Masters and tied for third at the Open.
- 2023 – Helps Europe beat USA 16.5-11.5 in the Ryder Cup.
- 2024 – Struggles at start of season, finishes tied 22nd at the Masters.
But he then won two tournaments – the Zurich Classic (for his 25th PGA title) and the Wells Fargo Championship.
