Contained in the tense moments after Rory McIlroy's calamitous U.S. Open defeat

PINEHURST, N.C. — After it was throughout — that’s, after Bryson DeChambeau had holed a 4-foot putt to win this 124th U.S. Open — Rory McIlroy exited the scoring room beneath the Pinehurst No. 2 clubhouse the place he had been watching the closing moments of the championship on the NBC broadcast. His white Nike cap was pushed again on his head, brim pointing to the ceiling: the worldwide signal for exasperation, frustration and did this actually simply occur once more? A safety guard in a black shirt opened a door and McIlroy and his workforce, tailed by a Netflix crew carrying a digital camera and growth mic, slipped into the inside of the clubhouse and down one other hallway earlier than disappearing into the U.S. Open Champions’ Locker Room.

McIlroy had earned entrée to that coveted sanctuary by means of his win in 2011, again when Barack Obama was nonetheless serving his first time period within the Oval Workplace. 13 years have handed since then, a interval wherein McIlroy has soared to unimaginable highs‚ together with three extra main titles, but additionally endured soul-crushing disappointments and what-could-have-beens, together with what on Sunday night grew to become an 0-for-37 run within the majors and a more-bitter-than-sweet 9 consecutive top-10 finishes on the U.S. Open with out a victory.

Was this Sunday, although, when McIlroy held a two-shot lead with 5 holes to play his most heartbreaking main defeat but?

It was cheap query to ponder when, after not lacking a putt of three ft or much less in 496 makes an attempt this season, McIlroy missed a par attempt of a mere 2 ft, 6 inches on the par-4 sixteenth gap to drop again right into a tie, at six beneath, with DeChambeau. When, needing only a par on the par-4 nearer to have a good chance of forcing a playoff, McIlroy tugged his tee shot into the wiregrass left of the golf green and missed a par try of a mere 3 ft, 6 inches. When the swelling, sweating galleries that packed the grandstands and lined the fairways had been chanting McIlroy’s title — ROR-EE! ROR-EE! — and all however prepared their man to victory. When all week lengthy McIlroy had been saying the suitable issues about learn how to play U.S. Open setups and, specifically, the maddening check that’s Donald Ross’s masterwork. “I believe I’m embracing the questions that the golf course asks of you,” he stated Saturday night time. “It exams your chipping. It exams your placing. It clearly exams your psychological fortitude greater than some other golf event.”

As McIlroy was packing up his belongings, Mike Whan, the USGA’s CEO, got here fast-walking down the hallway towards the locker room. He was minutes from delivering a speech and presenting a sterling silver trophy to DeChambeau in entrance of hundreds of followers ringing the 18th inexperienced. However on this second Whan was looking for the runner-up.

“Do we would like them in there?” he stated to a few his staffers; Whan was referring to the Netflix crew. The query was rhetorical, and the message was clear: Give the person some rattling area.

A few minutes later, a participant got here strolling down the hallway, en path to the awards ceremony. It was 22-year-old Neal Shipley, who after ending because the low novice on the Masters in April had repeated the feat at Pinehurst, ending at six over for the week to tie for twenty sixth total. Shipley was smiling as he handed by — who is aware of what number of Opens this ascendant expertise has in entrance of him? — wholly unaware of the scene that was enjoying out behind the closed door of the locker room. However that’s Sunday evenings at main championships. So many feelings, so many subplots, bumping up towards each other.

After one other minute or two, the door opened.

Rory.

Hat nonetheless propped again. Black leather-based duffle bag slung over his proper shoulder. Drained, shell-shocked eyes. A forlorn look that stated, “Take me residence.” In tow: his caddie, Harry Diamond, and agent, Sean O’Flaherty. Within the air: an eerie quiet. Consolatory phrases are futile in such moments, and so there have been no phrases in any respect.

THE DAY HAD STARTED WITH McIlroy and the 36-hole chief by three, DeChambeau, smashing balls collectively on the vary. As DeChambeau fidgeted with driver heads and wrenches and a launch monitor, McIlroy appeared in whole management of his lengthy recreation, ripping one tightly drawn 3-wood after the subsequent down the yellowish-green expanse, adopted by a collection of smashed drivers. When his vary session concluded, McIlroy walked as much as the follow inexperienced that abuts the primary tee. Sunday’s first of many “ROR-EE” chants got here from a pack of giddy youngsters within the autograph pen simply past the vary.

On the inexperienced, McIlroy was joined by his enjoying companion, Patrick Cantlay, who McIlroy could be enjoying with for the primary time since he and Cantlay’s caddie, Joe LaCava, clashed on the Ryder Cup final fall. A few months later, in an interview with an Irish newspaper, McIlroy additional fanned the flames when he described his relationship with Cantlay as “common as finest” and likewise referred to as Cantlay a “d-k.” And now right here they have been, knotted at 4 beneath par, and within the penultimate pairing on U.S. Open Sunday. McIlroy bumped fists with Cantlay on the primary tee and shook LaCava’s hand, however that may be the extent of their interplay over the subsequent five-plus hours. This spherical could be outlined by a unique model of drama.

McIlroy’s begin couldn’t have been higher. He spilt the first fairway with an iron, knocked his method to twenty ft, pin-high left, and drained the birdie putt to maneuver to 5 beneath. After his second spherical, McIlroy had spoken of the significance of correct method photographs on this course. Take the calculating means by which he had performed the eighth gap on Friday: “I had 151 adjusted to the opening. I’m attempting to land it 146. I can’t land it 144 as a result of it’s not going to rise up there. I can’t land it 148 as a result of it’s going to go over the again of the inexperienced. You simply have to have lots of precision. I really feel like for essentially the most half I’ve carried out that effectively this week.”  

That is how the New Rory thinks at this most exacting of tournaments, which had helped clarify his amazingly constant play in current U.S. Opens heading into this week. McIlroy’s leads to his final 5 Open begins, starting with 2019: T9, T8, T7, T5, T2. He credited his positive play to “embracing what I’d have referred to as ‘boring’ again within the day. Explosiveness isn’t going to win a U.S. Open. It’s extra methodically constructing your rating over the course of 4 days and being okay with that. Truthfully, it’s simply extra of a reframing of a mindset than anything.”

McIlroy’s lone front-nine slip-up Sunday got here on the par-5 fifth when his second shot was inches from good however as an alternative caught the flawed aspect of a crest and rolled again off the inexperienced into maybe his most horrid hardpan lie of the week. From there, McIlroy might advance the ball solely into the entrance greenside bunker, resulting in a bogey 6 that dropped him two again of DeChambeau.

After birdies at 9 and 10, although, McIlroy was again inside one of many lead. In case you squinted onerous sufficient by means of the dusty, humid haze hanging over the course, you can see the momentum shifting. At 12 and 13, two extra birdies for McIlroy, on holes that DeChambeau would go bogey-birdie. When each gamers bogeyed 15, McIlroy nonetheless had the lead by one heading to 16. Simply three holes — barring any McIlroy miscues or DeChambeau heroics — stood between him and Open glory. If he couldn’t style it, the Pinehurst devoted might.

McIlroy’s first three photographs at 16 have been textbook: fairway, inexperienced, 27 ft for birdie. He missed that putt however left himself only a formality for par: 30 inches. It was a gimme till it wasn’t. The ball by no means left the left edge and spun out. In case you have been there, it took the breath out of you. In case you have been watching from residence, it took the breath out of you. McIlroy: six beneath. DeChambeau: six beneath.

Out of the blue, the sport’s two most fun gamers dealing with off in a two-hole playoff was a probable prospect. McIlroy pulled his tee shot on the par-3 seventeenth into the bunker left of the inexperienced, however managed a nifty sand save to remain at minus 6. His tee shot at 18 additionally missed left — his swing was getting fast — and when he arrived at his ball 123 yards from the inexperienced, he discovered it nestled towards a tuft of wiregrass.

McIlroy performs shortly and the burden of the second did nothing to sluggish he tempo. He and Diamond briefly inspected the lie, picked a wedge and McIlroy settled in over his ball. The contact was lower than pure and his ball got here up in need of the inexperienced, leaving him 94 ft to the back-right pin. Once more, he performed with haste, hitting a gorgeous chip that bounced 4 occasions on the inexperienced earlier than rolling simply 4 ft previous and left of the opening. McIlroy had confirmed on 16 there aren’t any positive issues in a U.S. Open, however this putt, too, if you happen to subscribe to statistics, was virtually sure to drop.

It didn’t.

The left-to-righter by no means had an opportunity, snapping onerous proper and glancing off the low aspect of the opening.

“For him to overlook that putt,” DeChambeau would say later, “I’d by no means want it on anyone.”

MCILROY’S MAJOR HEARTBREAKS are like snowflakes: no two are precisely alike. The back-nine meltdown on the 2011 Masters will likely be remembered for the snap hook into the cabins on 10. His 2019 Open Championship at Portursh, close to his Northern Eire residence, surprised for his opening 80. Three years later, on the Open Championship on the Outdated Course, McIlroy couldn’t get out of impartial on Sunday. “I felt like I didn’t do a lot flawed at this time, however I didn’t do a lot proper, both,” he stated. And this main, within the heat, dusty Sandhills of North Carolina? Gosh, this one may sting most of all. Three bogeys within the final 4 holes. Two missed putts from a mixed 6 ft, 5 inches. One shot quick.

We don’t know the way McIlroy processed it as a result of he didn’t really feel very similar to speaking Sunday night. He declined to talk with reporters. When he and his workforce exited the entrance of the clubhouse, they made the quick stroll to McIlroy’s courtesy SUV prior to now champions’ parking zone. A blue placard on an indication in entrance of McIlroy’s spot served as a reminder of his U.S. Open victory but additionally the size of his U.S. Open drought:  

Rory McIlroy
2011

McIlroy and Diamond had one final job for the day: loading McIlroy’s inexperienced, white and gold TaylorMade bag into the automotive. When the cargo was aboard, participant and caddie clasped fingers and leaned into each other. McIlroy closed the trunk, slipped into the driving force’s seat and pulled out. Nonetheless no phrases. The one sound was the squeal of tires.

Alan Bastable

Golf.com Editor

As GOLF.com’s government editor, Bastable is answerable for the editorial route and voice of one of many recreation’s most revered and extremely trafficked information and repair websites. He wears many hats — enhancing, writing, ideating, creating, daydreaming of at some point breaking 80 — and feels privileged to work with such an insanely proficient and hardworking group of writers, editors and producers. Earlier than grabbing the reins at GOLF.com, he was the options editor at GOLF Journal. A graduate of the College of Richmond and the Columbia College of Journalism, he lives in New Jersey along with his spouse and foursome of children.