Rory McIlroy’s U.S. Open collapse isn’t the only thing that will be remembered from Sunday.
When discussing McIlroy’s second-place finish to Bryson DeChambeau, in which the Northern Irishman bogeyed three of the last four holes in the final round at Pinehurst No. 2, Scott Van Pelt offered a critical take on McIlroy’s abrupt departure from the North Carolina course as his majors’ drought extended to 10 years.
“Now, Rory is one of my very favorite people in the sport for a lot of different reasons. One, he’s a thinker and he answers things thoughtfully. He’s also a great champion. And today, understandably, a bitter pill, a chance to end this major list drought, and it slips away as it did,” Van Pelt said Sunday on “SportsCenter.”
McIlroy missed two short putts on 16 and 18 that essentially cost him the victory.
The ESPN personality then brought up devastating losses experienced by Phil Mickelson and Greg Norman in past years, the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot and the 1996 Masters, respectively, when both melted down in more significant fashion than McIlroy but spoke afterward.
“I think about this, Phil Mickelson, the [2006] U.S. Open, hit off a beer tent on the 72nd hole at Winged Foot to lose with a double and he said afterward, ‘I’m such an idiot.’ Greg Norman melted over the course of five brutal hours at the Masters in ’96, as his seemingly insurmountable lead evaporated,” Van Pelt said, referencing Norman’s six-stroke lead he gave up to Nick Faldo 28 years ago.
“When it mercifully ended, [Norman] stood there under the Magnolia trees in the darkness and he answered the questions about what happened. I’m certain he would have preferred that the Earth open up and swallow him whole, but he stood there and he took it. Rory today did not and you just have to.”
Van Pelt then stated how McIlroy’s finish and swift exit will be remembered from the tournament.
“How it got away on this Sunday and the fact that he walked away without speaking about it will both be remembered,” Van Pelt concluded the segment.
McIlroy, who finished Sunday with a 1-under par 69 for a total of 5-under on the weekend, made a beeline for his car shortly after watching DeChambeau sink his putt on the 18th from a TV in the scoring room.
The four-time major champion departed the course six minutes after the tournament-sealing putt, according to the Raleigh News & Observer.
McIlroy, the winner of the 2011 U.S. Open, last won a major in 2014 with victories at the PGA Championship and The Open.
DeChambeau, meanwhile, became a two-time U.S. Open winner after shooting 6-under par.
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