As Clutch As Bryson DeChambeau Was To Win The US Open, The Golf World Is Stunned By Rory McIlroy’s Collapse

Matt Fitzgerald·
CULTURESPORTS
·
Rory McIlroy
@USopen

It’s worth talking about Bryson DeChambeau from the top here, because after all, he did just win his second U.S. Open with one of the filthiest up-and-downs in the history of the sport.

Bryson was scrambling his tail off all day long, so it was fitting that he did just that on the 72nd hole to secure his national championship. Even cooler? His ultimate golf role model, the late, great Payne Stewart, also had a legendary par to win the 1999 U.S. Open. Getting to pay homage to your hero? What a thrill. Never mind that Bryson was playing on Father’s Day, not long after his own dad passed away in 2022.

Will we remember more how Bryson won his second major title, or how Rory McIlroy blew a golden opportunity for his fifth — and first since the 2014 PGA Championship?

In texting my golf-loving friends in the immediate aftermath of an absolutely stunning stretch run on Sunday, nobody was talking about the incredible, long-range birdie putts Rory made to charge up the leaderboard and eclipse Bryson for the lead. Trailing by four entering the final round, Rory was up by two strokes with four to play, and proceeded to make three bogeys coming in. Two in particular were most excruciating — especially when you have the full statistical context.

Heartbreak doesn’t even begin to describe it. To the surprise of no one with a shred of humanity in their hearts, Rory declined a post-round interview and quickly made his way off the premises of Pinehurst No. 2.

NBC airing Rory’s reaction to Bryson’s winning putt is a borderline crime — almost more so than their insistence on deploying the “Playing Through” form of ads, or their penchant for rampant commercials during Sunday’s early coverage.

I get that advertising is part of the TV game, but it was kind of egregious.

Let’s not get too far afield from what actually happened, or detract from the incredible major championship that was the 2024 U.S. Open. Circling back to the narrative, there are several people out there who empathize with Rory and just can’t believe he finds new ways to miss out on major wins.

The vast majority of knee-jerk reactions, though, are calling Rory’s two close-range misses one of the biggest choke jobs in all of sports.

My main takeaway from this re: Rory is, he’ll either be almost blindingly pissed off that he’ll crank his game up to the best of his career and rattle off multiple majors in rather short order. It’s either that extreme, or the other extreme, which is that he’ll never recover. I feel like there’s no in-between. This feels like a career crossroads for Rory. He can either take all the vicious criticism head-on, use it as fuel, and emerge with the most dominant stretch of his golfing prime. I could also see how this is too devastating for even the mentally-strongest to overcome.

Rory certainly has the talent. it’s all about what’s between the ears more so now than ever. My gut feeling as an admitted Rory fanboy for many a year? He’ll rally and shut everybody up. Obviously, I’m biased. But at this point, I’m too all-in. I can’t quit Rory. Not through all the other close calls, and certainly not when he’s down this bad.

Head up, Rory. You got this. I think.

A beer bottle on a dock

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