Rory McIlroy criminally went back on his own word and it cost him US Open
Rory McIlroy opted to not follow his own advice when stood on the tee of the 72nd hole at this week's U.S. Open, going on to agonisingly lose the title by just one shot to Bryson DeChambeau.
McIlroy put himself in the perfect position to win his first major championship since 2014, having opened up a two-shot lead with just five holes to play at Pinehurst No. 2. It proved to be a final stretch to forget though, after bogeying the 15th and 16th - which included a missed putt from inside three-feet.
Despite the stuttered run, the Northern Irishman - who was a group ahead of DeChambeau - was still in a tie for the lead at six-under with one hole to play when making his way to the 18th tee box.
To the surprise of many though, McIlroy opted to hit driver at the last, something he had not done in the previous three rounds having played three-wood throughout the tournament. The following drive missed left, leaving the 35-year-old in all sorts of bother in the Pinehurst rough.
McIlroy was forced to punch his effort out of the native area down the left, leaving him short of the green. He went on to play a solid chip shot onto the putting surface leaving him just under six-feet for par. Having missed a short one two holes earlier the same fate then followed at 18, and this would cost him dearly.
DeChambeau too hit driver down the left, but unlike McIlroy, he was able to get up-and-down with a remarkable bunker shot to ensure it was the American who got his hands on the trophy. There is no doubt McIlroy's two short missed putts will be tough for him to forget, but he may well have some regret about his 18th tee shot too.
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Rory McIlroy missed two short putts
Speaking earlier in the week, the PGA Tour star admitted his plan was to play 'boring golf' in order to bank himself major championship No. 5. “Honestly, embracing what I would have called ‘boring’ back in the day," the 2011 U.S. Open champion said in the build-up.
"Explosiveness isn't going to win a U.S. Open. It's more methodically building your score over the course of four days and being okay with that. Honestly, it's just more of a reframing of a mindset than anything else.”
McIlroy looked visibly downbeat after watching DeChambeau's winning putt when signing for his card. In the aftermath, the four-time major champion opted to skip all media duties, instead making a swift exit from the Pinehurst site. The 35-year-old will be forced to dust himself down quickly over the next day or two, having committed to compete in the next week's Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands.