Rory McIlroy is right, he is closer than ever to winning his next major despite Pinehurst agony

The final moments of the US Open encapsulated the beauty and cruelty of sport. As Bryson DeChambeau thumped the air in delight, a few hundred yards away slumped a devastated Rory McIlroy as his elusive fifth major title slipped through his grasp again.

That last hour at Pinehurst No. 2 was perhaps the most captivating scene any sport has produced in recent years, with two modern greats duelling for one of the game's most prestigious prizes. Fuelled by sub-plots galore and an idyllic stage between the pines of North Carolina, it was agonising viewing as momentum swung back and forth between McIlroy and DeChambeau.

For three days, the pair had masterfully plotted their way around one of the game's toughest tracks until the spectre of glory loomed as made the turn for the final time. DeChambeau blinked first and – after starting the day trailing by three – McIlroy suddenly had a two-shot lead; his 10-year major drought seemingly coming to a merciful end.

What followed will go down in history as one of the most dramatic and enthralling major championship finales of this century. These titans of the sport bared a human streak as the weight of imminent triumph tore away the facade of their other-worldly talent.

Both men stumbled towards the finish line, but it was DeChambeau who was able to limit the damage and produce a single career-defining swing of a sand wedge at the last. Meanwhile, a drained McIlroy could only watch as another major championship passed him by.

It was not the Ulsterman's first near miss of his 10-year drought, but it was certainly the most painful – missing two putts inside of four feet in the final three holes. As DeChambeau converted a six-footer for the win, McIlroy swiftly exited stage left, speeding out of the Pinehurst gates to begin processing what happened.

"Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I've had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer," he said in a statement a day later, announcing he would take a three-week break before returning to action at the Scottish Open next month, where he is the defending champion.

Rory McIlroy

McIlroy continued by rolling out the tried-and-trusted sportsmen's cliche of "taking the positives" before concluding on a defiant note. "I feel closer to winning my next major championship than I ever have," he asserted.

After producing what many described as a "choke" at Pinehurst, that is a big claim. Are they merely glass-half-full words of hope or is McIlroy's belief rooted in reality?

There is no doubt the 35-year-old has gotten closer to winning at the majors in recent years. In the years that immediately followed his PGA Championship at Valhalla in 2014, he accrued several top-10s without ever truly contending, but since 2022 he has played some of his best golf – finishing outside the top 10 in just three of his past 11 majors.

There was a heartwrenching third-place finish at the 150th Open Championship at St Andrews in 2022, stalling in his final round as Cameron Smith surged ahead on the back nine to snatch victory. The 2023 US Open stung, too, as McIlroy failed to get anything going in his final round at Los Angeles Country Club, losing out to Wyndham Clark by a single shot.

That day, McIlroy said he would go through 100 Sundays like that just to win another major championship. The climax at Pinehurst elevated those feelings of pain and regret to full-blown agony. This time, McIlroy downright threw it away in a fashion that prompts questions of whether he will ever be the same.

But one inarguable line from McIlroy's statement was his belief in his resilience. He has proven his ability to respond to a challenge, most recently starring at the Ryder Cup in Rome as Europe's leading man with four points from five matches, just two years on from shedding tears as the boys in blue were routed by the Americans at Whistling Straits.

So expect McIlroy to be quickly back in his stride in comfortable surroundings at The Rennaissance Club on July 11, where he produced one of the finest shots of his career a year ago to pip Bob McIntyre to the title. There should be no signs of rust; McIlroy played three straight weeks by the time he left Pinehurst and although he has had a prolonged break, he has effectively skipped just one event – The Travelers, with neither this week's Rocket Mortgage Classic or the John Deere Classic on July 4 part of his usual schedule.

It is the final major of the year that looms large as The Open tees off at Royal Troon on July 18, where McIlroy will feel he has a point to prove. He will attempt to do so with his game in excellent shape, ranking third on the PGA Tour this season in Data Golf's true strokes gained metric, behind only Masters and PGA Championship winners Scottie Scheffler and Xander Schauffele.

His numbers at the US Open were sensational, too, gaining more than three strokes on the field with his play from tee to green. Encouragingly, his putting was solid and his short game was among the best in the field over the four days. As ever, the challenge is with the scoring clubs; but McIlroy is only ever a solid week of approach play from contending at any event.

It is baffling that a player of McIlroy's talent has not won a major in his past 37 attempts, but it is equally baffling to have any confidence that his streak of anguish will continue endlessly. McIlroy may feel like he is at rock bottom, but his game certainly isn't.

This is the No. 2 player on the planet according to the admittedly flawed Official World Golf Ranking, not some plucky underdog whose one and only chance at a major passed him by, nor is he an ageing veteran like Phil Mickelson whose powers have faded and his realistic hopes of a career grand slam are over.

With time on his side, there will be numerous more chances for McIlroy to get his fifth and if he gets it quickly, he will likely romp to a few more. And he should face those challenges feeling liberated. After all, the pain cannot get any worse than what happened at Pinehurst.