Rory McIlroy is satisfied he can bounce again shortly from his painful collapse within the US Open at Pinehurst.
The four-time main winner briefly held a two-shot lead with 5 holes to play however bogeyed three of the final 4 holes — lacking two quick par-putts — to complete a shot behind Bryson DeChambeau.
It was the 35-year-old’s greatest likelihood to win his first main since 2014 and introduced again reminiscences of squandering a four-shot lead within the ultimate spherical of the 2011 Masters with a closing 80.
The Northern Irishman, who defends his Scottish Open title this week, recovered shortly to win his first main within the US Open two months later in 2011 and can hope he can repeat the trick in subsequent week’s British Open at Royal Troon.
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Rory’s response to Bryson’s profitable putt | 02:00
“I look again on that day (at Pinehurst) similar to I look again on a number of the hardest moments in my profession and I’ll be taught loads from it and hopefully put that to good use,” McIlroy mentioned on Wednesday.
“It’s one thing that’s been a little bit of a theme all through my profession. I’ve been in a position to take these powerful moments and switch them into nice issues not very lengthy after that.
“It’s been some time since I’ve gained a serious however I felt worse after another losses. I felt worse after Augusta in 2011 and I felt worse after St Andrews (2022 British Open). It was up there with the powerful losses however not the hardest.
“The best way I’d describe Pinehurst on Sunday was it was an awesome day till it wasn’t.”
‘Gutted’ Rory leaves proper after loss | 00:53
McIlroy additionally took the chance to defend his caddie, Harry Diamond, who got here below scrutiny for his position within the collapse after the Irishman bogeyed on three of his final 4 holes.
“You already know, it’s actually unfair. Hank Haney has by no means been in that place,” McIlroy mentioned, referencing criticism from by Tiger Woods’ former coach earlier than additionally addressing feedback made by former PGA Tour participant turned tv analyst Smylie Kaufman.
“Smylie has been in that place as soon as. I like Smylie and he was on the market with us on 18. However simply because Harry just isn’t as vocal or loud together with his phrases as different caddies, it doesn’t imply that he doesn’t say something and that he doesn’t do something.
“These guys that criticise when issues don’t go my means, they by no means say something good when issues do go my means. So the place have been they after I gained Dubai earlier this 12 months or Quail Hole or the 2 FedEx Cups that I’ve gained with Harry or the 2 Ryder Cups or no matter? They’re by no means there to say Harry did such an awesome job after I win however they’re all the time there to criticise once we don’t win.
“They don’t seem to be there. They don’t seem to be those hitting the pictures and making the choices. Somebody mentioned to me as soon as: ‘Should you would by no means take recommendation from these folks, you need to by no means take their criticisms both.’ I actually wouldn’t go to Hank Haney for recommendation. I like Smylie, however I believe I do know what I’m doing and so does Harry.”
DeChambeau snatches second US Open title | 03:26
The world quantity two, who has not performed a aggressive spherical since his US Open heartbreak, mentioned he had “stewed” on what occurred for a couple of days, and mirrored on the now-infamous two quick putts he missed that noticed him lose.
“It was an awesome alternative. It handed me by however hopefully after I get that subsequent alternative, it gained’t move me by,” he mentioned.
“I can vividly bear in mind beginning to really feel a little bit uncomfortable ready for my second putt on 16, and you understand, the putt on the final, it was a very difficult putt. And I used to be very conscious of the place Bryson was off the tee. I knew I needed to hit it actually tender. If the one again didn’t matter, I’d have hit it firmer.
“However as a result of I used to be kind of in two minds, I didn’t know whether or not Bryson [Dechambeau] was going to make a par or not, it was a type of ones the place I needed to guarantee that if the putt didn’t go in, that it wasn’t going 10 ft by, which it very simply might have.
“Pondering again, yeah, perhaps I used to be a little bit too conscious of the place Bryson was and what he was doing … Simply the way in which the course flowed, it simply made me very conscious of what he was doing on the similar time. So it kind of bought me out of my very own little world a little bit bit.
“However no, I imply, after I look again on that day, similar to I look again on a few of my hardest moments in my profession, I’ll be taught loads from it and I’ll hopefully put that to good use. It’s one thing that’s been a little bit of a theme all through my profession. I’ve been in a position to take these powerful moments and switch them into nice issues not very lengthy after that.
“I’m enjoying nice golf and it’s one other alternative to see how I can hopefully deal with it higher than I dealt with it a couple of weeks in the past.”
Different star names who will likely be teeing off on the Renaissance Membership in North Berwick embody PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth, Collin Morikawa and Ludvig Aberg.