Rory McIlroy’s US Open meltdown deconstructed: how a two-shot lead fell apart

17/06/2024

Rory McIlroy looked visibly shaken walking off the 18th at Pinehurst No 2 - John David Mercer/John David Mercer

Rory McIlroy saw his greatest chance to end his major drought slip through his grasp in one of golf’s most memorable collapses as he let a two-shot lead disappear across the final four holes of the US Open.

As McIlroy sped away from Pinehurst No 2 before the dust had even settled on his meltdown – the Northern Irishman refusing to speak to the media or congratulate champion Bryson DeChambeau – many were left asking how one of the greatest golfers of his generation could have suffered such a collapse.

Here’s how McIlroy’s round spiralled out of control:

15th hole

McIlroy: Eight under
DeChambeau: Six under

Standing on the 15th tee, McIlroy is two shots in front of DeChambeau after the American bogeyed the 12th. A 205-yard par three, McIlroy goes long off the back of the green and into the wasteland, forcing him to chip back beyond the hole and leave a 31ft putt. His effort rolls left of the flag and he holes out for bogey. But worse is yet to come, as DeChambeau birdies the 13th to pull level. Suddenly his lead is gone completely with the pair tied at seven-under.

16th hole

McIlroy: Seven under
DeChambeau: Seven under

McIlroy makes light work of his tee shot and approach, leaving himself just shy of 25ft with two putts to get down for par. The first comes in hot, rolling 2ft 6in past the whole but leaving an easy tap in… or so he thought. McIlroy inexcusably pulls the putt to the left of the hole, the ball lipping out to his anguish, and registers his first miss inside 3ft for 487 attempts this year to result in back-to-back bogeys. However, it is not all bad news at this point as DeChambeau three-putts the 15th, dropping both back to six-under.

17th hole

McIlroy: Six under
DeChambeau: Six under

More trouble for McIlroy, on the 220-yard par-three, as his tee shot finds the bunker to the left of the green. He hits out successfully, leaving a putt of 3ft 9in that, this time, he makes for par. Behind, DeChambeau pars both 16 and then 17 to keep the scores level.

18th hole

McIlroy: Six under
DeChambeau: Six under

Now for the drama. McIlroy pulls his tee shot left of the fairway and into the wire-straw, meaning he cannot make the green on the 449-yard par-four in two. Needing an up-and-down to make par and give himself a chance of at least making a play-off with DeChambeau, McIlroy looks to have done the hard bit when he chips to just 3ft 9in – the exact same distance as his putt on the 17th. But this time, the nerves get the better of him as he undercooks the putt, allowing the slope to take his ball agonisingly away right of the cup and consign him to the most painful bogey of his career.

In trouble himself, DeChambeau is in the native area even further to the left off the tee, and can only hit into the right-side bunker with his second still 55 yards short of the green. But he pulls out the shot of the championship to leave a 3ft 11in putt to win his second US Open title.

Finishing scores

DeChambeau Six under
McIlroy: Five under

The unwanted records

McIlroy’s wait for his fifth major title will tick over to 3,600 days on Tuesday, closing in on the decade of despair since his 2014 US PGA Championship victory. If he fails to lift the Claret Jug at The Open Championship next month, at Royal Troon, he will clear the 10-year mark since his last major win.

McIlroy is the first player in US Open history to finish in outright second place, one shot back behind the eventual champion, in back-to-back years after losing by exactly the same margin to Wyndham Clark 12 months ago.

His missed par putt from 2ft 6in on the 16th hole was his first miss from inside three feet this season, having made the previous 496.

McIlroy was eight under on the 15th tee and DeChambeau at six under on the 14th tee, yet the American would go on to win without needing to make another birdie.

Over the course of the first 15 holes, McIlroy had gained 4.096 shots on the rest of the field with his putting, such was his form. But across the final three holes, McIlroy’s putting cost him 1.88 strokes, an enormous swing that cost him any chance of victory.

What they said

While McIlroy got out of Pinehurst as quickly as possible without speaking – even before DeChambeau’s champion’s press conference had begun – there was no shortage in astonishment from those who had just witnessed one of golf’s all-time biggest collapses.

“That’s going to haunt Rory for the rest of his life, those two misses,” said the six-time major winner Sir Nick Faldo, commentating for Sky Sports.

There was more sympathy from the locker room, with McIlroy’s rivals offering kinder words in his moment of internal agony.

“At the end of the day we are all human,” said Frenchman Matthieu Pavon, who finished fifth, three shots off DeChambeau. “Rory has been chasing another major [for] many years. He is one of the best players in the world, a true champion. It shows you how tough it is.

“The more you want it, the tougher it gets, and the highest expectation you have for yourself, the tougher it gets, the more pressure you got into.

“Maybe this is a little bit of pressure that got him today for sure, but Rory is just a massive champion. I’m sure he will fight back and really soon.”

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