1 week ago
A devastated Rory McIlroy fled nan people instantly - and apparently without congratulating Bryson DeChambeau - aft a humiliating illness successful nan closing holes of nan US Open amid turmoil successful his backstage life.
The Northern Irish golfer, 35, was successful full power and was group to triumph 1 of nan 4 golfing fields for nan first clip successful much than a decade only to miss two 3ft putts successful nan past 3 holes.
The 2 megastar personalities of golf, Rory nan PGA Tour's figurehead and Bryson LIV's talisman, went head-to-head astatine Pinehurst successful North Carolina.
Despite problem successful his backstage life aft he revenge for divorcement from his woman of 7 years Erica Stoll only to telephone disconnected nan divided connected nan eve of the 124th US Open, Rory recovered himself pinch a two-shot lead pinch conscionable 5 holes to go.
But he frittered distant nan lead pinch errant drives and shaky putting earlier Bryson played 1 of nan awesome agelong bunker shots successful fields history to prevention par connected nan 18th holes.
McIlroy didn't speak to nan property arsenic he departed Pinehurst instantly aft watching American spread nan winning putt from nan scorer’s hut - and without congratulating Bryson, according to nan Daily Telegraph's James Corrigan. DeChambeau reportedly asked officials wherever Rory was and why he had not seen him successful nan aftermath of his win.
He was past seen putting his container successful nan footwear of a Lexus and is understood to person headed consecutive to nan airdrome and connected to a backstage pitchy to Florida to beryllium reunited pinch his woman Erica, 35, and three-year-old girl Poppy.
Rory McIlroy's fans, millions of whom stayed up precocious into nan nighttime successful Ireland and nan UK, were besides bereft aft he blew his chance and let another awesome title gaffe agonisingly from his grasp.
Rory McIlroy was a image of devastation aft throwing nan US Open distant connected Sunday arsenic he watched Bryson DeChambeau triumph (pictured successful nan scorer's hut aft nan winning putt went in)
Rory speaks to his caddy and champion friend Harry Diamond arsenic they packed up nan Lexus to leave
Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland putts and misses nan 18th spread during nan last information of nan 124th US Open play championship
Rory was successful a winning position but made a number of errors that handed nan title to Bryson, who was likewise tense down nan stretch
Rory was successful nan aerial and connected nan measurement backmost to Florida to beryllium pinch his woman Erica and girl Poppy. McIlroy revenge for divorcement only to tear it up connected nan eve of nan US Open, uncovering himself pinch nan triumph successful his grasp
On leaving Pinehurst, a intelligibly bereft Rory said a intense goodbye to his caddy Harry Diamond, who he grew up pinch successful Holywood, Co Down.
Outspoken British golfer Eddie Pepperell said Rory should see beryllium replacing his champion friend Harry pinch a caller bagman aft McIlroy made errors including utilizing a driver connected nan 18th that grabbed conclusion from nan jaws of victory. BBC play analogous Iain Carter coming questioned whether Rory could 'ever recover' from nan disaster astatine Pinehurst yesterday connected their Chipping Forecast podcast pinch Andrew Cotter.
Since winning nan 2014 PGA Championship, McIlroy has posted 20 top-10 finishes successful majors, including 9 apical 5s.
With nan tourney astatine his mercy and starring by 2 shots pinch 5 holes to play, McIlroy collapsed astatine nan decorativeness pinch bogeys connected 3 of his last 4 holes, including a heart-breaker astatine nan 18th.
The Northern Irishman amazingly missed from 2 feet and six inches for par connected nan 16th and little than 4 feet connected nan 18th to suffer different scarcely believable extremity successful his 10-year pursuit for a 5th Major.
McIlroy did not bent astir to speak to media and was pictured by play newsman Jason Sobel packing his clubs into a car aft Bryson DeChambeau made judge of victory.
Bryson DeChambeau of nan US hits retired of nan bunker to nan 18th greenish during nan last information of nan 2024 US Open - considered 1 of nan top shots for galore years
Bryson, nan poster boy for LIV, went chaotic erstwhile nan winning putt went in
It is Bryson's 2nd US Open title
NBC, nan tourney broadcaster successful nan US, besides said McIlroy declined to beryllium interviewed.
Video besides emerged of a devastated McIlroy watching DeChambeau wrap up glory successful nan clubhouse. It was an ending that whitethorn good beryllium considered much achy than 2011 Masters implosion.
But that will beryllium for nan analysts to determine complete nan coming days. As DeChambeau sewage his hands connected nan trophy, McIlroy's tires spun successful nan gravel of nan parking batch arsenic he fled to lick his wounds.
It marks a disastrous extremity to different bonzer week for McIlroy, who connected Tuesday nighttime announced he was calling disconnected his divorcement from woman Erica.
In a May 13 tribunal filing - days earlier nan PGA Championship astatine Valhalla - his lawyer had said nan matrimony was irretrievably broken.
'There person been rumors astir my individual life recently, which is unfortunate,' McIlroy said successful nan statement. 'Responding to each rumor is simply a fool's game. Over nan past weeks, Erica and I person realized that our champion early was arsenic a family together. Thankfully, we person resolved our differences and look guardant to a caller beginning.'
But for specified a ample portion of Sunday's last round, it looked for illustration McIlroy was going to constitute a fairytale happy ending to specified a tumultuous play of his life.
Starting nan time 3 shots down DeChambeau, McIlroy made nan perfect commencement pinch a birdie from 20 feet connected nan first and recovered himself conscionable a changeable down erstwhile DeChambeau bogeyed nan fourth.
McIlroy was 2 shots up by nan clip he was stepping to nan 14th tee. The 'Rory' chants grew louder and DeChambeau could perceive them.
McIlroy pictured leaving nan 18th greenish successful daze aft missing a 2nd straightforward putt
McIlroy's week began pinch him calling disconnected his divorcement from woman of 7 years, Erica Stoll
McIlroy took bogey from down nan 15th green, but he stayed 1 up erstwhile DeChambeau, playing successful nan group down him, had his first three-putt of nan week connected nan 15th erstwhile he missed from 4 feet.
And that's wherever nan U.S. Open took an agonizing move for McIlroy. He missed a 30-inch par putt connected nan 16th spread to autumn backmost into a tie. On nan 18th, McIlroy's tee changeable landed down a notorious wiregrass bush. He blasted retired short of nan greenish and sounded beautifully to 4 feet. And he missed again.
McIlroy was watching from nan scoring room arsenic DeChambeau escaped from an atrocious dishonesty near of nan fairway - a character successful his backmost swing, a guidelines successful beforehand of nan play shot - and punched it retired into nan bunker.
He expertly blasted a changeable from nan soft soil that rolled retired connected nan greenish to group up nan winning putt.
And from there, Rory could do thing but battalion his bags.
It intends McIlroy's past awesome triumph remains nan PGA Championship backmost successful August 2014.
With nan tourney location for nan taking, McIlroy missed 2 putts wrong 4 feet
McIlroy looked group to triumph nan US Open but bogeyed 3 of his last 4 holes connected Sunday
McIlroy was near visibly stunned by nan putt that refused to driblet connected nan 18th green
A 5th awesome title continues to beryllium elusive for nan Northern Irishman and he has now travel 2nd astatine a awesome connected 4 occasions since 2014.
And fans were speedy to definitive their sympathy for McIlroy aft taking to societal media to bespeak connected Sunday's action.
One said: 'That’s difficult to watch. Plus 3 for past 4 holes. Absolute torture for Rory McIlroy. He still has The Open & Olympics to adhd thing to his cv, but it’s difficult not to consciousness for him moreover if you are not a fan.'
Another added: 'I don’t cognize really Rory McIlroy tin retrieve from that benignant of choke. Bryson took advantage of each nan mistakes.'
Meanwhile, ESPN pundit Mike Greenberg said. 'Rory McIlroy is an all-time talent, I dream against dream he gets different someday.
'But this 1 is going to stick. Two changeable lead, 2 putts little than 3 feet each. In a snakebitten decade, this has sewage to beryllium nan toughest to take.'
A further protagonist was captious of McIlroy's illness arsenic they said: 'One of nan worst choke jobs successful nan history of play retired of Rory McIlroy. Gifted Bryson DeChambeau that triumph connected a metallic platter,' while an other instrumentality added: 'How does he suffer from that position, 26 clip PGA and 17 clip DP circuit winner? Its unfathomable.'
The Northern Irishman's melodramatic illness allowed Bryson DeChambeau to bargain nan victory
An other instrumentality moreover mocked McIlroy arsenic they posted a clip of nan American sports drama movie Happy Gilmore, and added: 'Rory tapping successful for par.'
McIlroy's misfiring putting astatine nan 16th spread besides came aft he had not missed a putt wrong 3 feet truthful acold this season.
McIlroy's adjacent chance to triumph a awesome will beryllium astatine The Open Championship astatine nan Royal Troon Golf Club successful Scotland successful July.
Alongside McIlroy's 2014 PGA Championship victory, nan Northern Irishman won nan Open that year, which was his second-most caller awesome victory.
Fans expressed their sympathy for McIlroy, but others were captious of nan Northern Irishman
Following Sunday's events, McIlroy did not speak to nan media aft he watched DeChambeau, who was successful nan group behind, spread his winning putt, pinch nan Northern Irishman departing nan people soon after.
However, speaking aft his victory, DeChambeau was magnanimous and hailed his rival.
'Rory is 1 of nan champion to ever play,' he said. 'Being capable to conflict against a awesome for illustration that is beautiful special.
'For him to miss that putt (on 18), I'd ne'er wish it connected anybody. Luckily, things went my way.'
