The No. 2 ranked golfer in the world, Rory McIlroy, has received backlash after giving up a lead at the 124th U.S. Open, as he missed two short putts on the 16th and 18th holes.
😱 😱 😱 😱
RORY MISSES ON 18.
Bryson can win the U.S. Open with a par on 18. pic.twitter.com/lSk0ZzzZK2
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 16, 2024
After finishing (-5), behind champion Bryson DeChambeau (-6), McIlroy did not stick around at the Pinehurst No. 2 golf course.
"Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I've had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer. Firstly, I'd like to congratulate Bryson. He is a worthy champion and exactly what professional golf needs right now. I think we can all agree on that," McIlroy wrote.
— Rory McIlroy (@McIlroyRory) June 17, 2024
"As I reflect on my week, I'll rue a few things over the course of the tournament, mostly the 2 missed putts on 16 and 18 on the final day," McIlroy said in a statement.
Rory McIlroy misses from 2ft 6in.pic.twitter.com/o2ME9ZfPax
— Golf Monthly (@GolfMonthly) June 16, 2024
This missed putt on the 16th hole was the first time McIlroy didn't convert a shot less than three feet away from the cup in 496 attempts all year.
Many were a little bit surprised by McIlroy's missed putts down the stretch of the tournament. As fans jokingly said that the four-time major champion had the "Sunday scaries," insinuating that McIlroy also choked by missing his last put on the 72nd hole of the tournament.
Stats on that brutal #USOpen finish for Rory McIlroy.
Holes 1-15:
118ft 9in putts, avg. 7ft 11in
Holes 16-18:
7ft10in putts, avg. 2ft 7in496/496 putts under 3ft made in 2024.
Missed only 6 total putts 3-4ft in 2024.
Misses 2 last 3 holes. 2ft6in on 16th hole, 3ft9in 18th hole. pic.twitter.com/MGUsZJBh30— David Bieleski (@deepdivegolf) June 17, 2024
To point out, if the Northern Irish golfer would have held on to his two-stroke lead on the back nine, then this would have been his first major championship since 2014.
"As I said at the start of the tournament, I feel closer to winning my next major championship than I ever have," McIlroy stated. "The one word that I would describe my career as is resilient. I've shown my resilience over and over again in the last 17 years and I will again."
With this in mind, McIlroy announced that he will be taking a couple weeks hiatus to regroup.
"I'm going to take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up for my defense of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon. See you in Scotland."
Related: Rory McIlroy Reconciles With Wife; Divorce Called Off
