Tiger Woods’ ex-coach had six-word verdict on Rory McIlroy’s US Open collapse

Rory McIlroy experienced a heart-wrenching near-miss at the US Open, falling just one shot short of his first major victory in a decade, ultimately losing to Bryson DeChambeau. The dramatic conclusion took place at Pinehurst No. 2, where McIlroy’s promising lead slipped away in the final moments.

With only five holes remaining in North Carolina, McIlroy held a two-shot advantage over DeChambeau. However, a series of three bogeys in four holes, starting with a missed short putt on the 16th, shattered his hopes. McIlroy, who had been solid on the greens all week, was stunned to miss a putt from inside three feet, a distance he had consistently converted from all season, making his last 496 attempts.

As McIlroy approached the 18th hole, he was tied with DeChambeau, who was in the following group. Opting for a driver off the tee, McIlroy’s shot veered left into the unforgiving rough of Pinehurst, leaving him in a tough spot for his second shot. Forced to lay up, he played his ball to the front of the green, then chipped impressively to within close range, setting up a crucial par putt. The memory of his earlier miss seemed to haunt him, leading to another under-hit putt and a devastating bogey.

Meanwhile, DeChambeau faced his own trouble off the tee but executed a remarkable up-and-down from a bunker to save par and secure his second US Open title. While DeChambeau’s performance was celebrated, McIlroy’s decision-making on the 18th and the 15th hole, where he overshot the green, came under scrutiny. Hank Haney, Tiger Woods’ former coach, critiqued McIlroy’s club choice, describing it as a “wrong club, wrong shot, bad plan” on Twitter.

Despite the setback, Haney acknowledged the difficulty of closing out a major, noting that players with multiple major wins succeed in only about one out of every three serious contention situations on Sunday.

A devastated McIlroy left Pinehurst soon after DeChambeau’s victory, declining to speak with the media. The next day, he broke his silence on social media, congratulating DeChambeau and announcing a break from golf until his title defense at the Scottish Open. In his statement, McIlroy reflected on the tough loss and emphasized his resilience, promising to come back stronger for future tournaments, including The Open at Royal Troon.

“Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I’ve had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer,” McIlroy wrote. “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. As I reflect on my week, I’ll rue a few things over the course of the tournament, mostly the two missed putts on 16 and 18 on the final day. But, as I always try to do, I’ll look at the positives of the week that far outweigh the negatives.”

McIlroy’s career, characterized by resilience, is far from over. He intends to regroup during his break and aims to return to competitive form for the upcoming tournaments in Scotland.