McIlroy: 'Great day ... until it wasn't'

Irishman speaks for first time about his U.S. Open finish; Nicklaus wins arbitration case

Rory McIlroy was “in two minds” on his fateful final par chance at Pinehurst (Jeff Haynes/USGA)

“It was a great day until it wasn’t,” is how Rory McIlroy summed up his U.S. Open Sunday at Pinehurst.

Many who watched the 124th U.S. Open probably agree with McIlroy’s assessment because the Ulsterman is one of the few needle movers in professional golf. Seeing the short putts missed at the end on the 16th and 18th holes left many wondering what happened to their Rory.

Outside of the missed putts by McIlroy, what most will remember of him was a solitary figure standing in the middle of the scoring room, arms crossed, watching his main antagonist, Bryson DeChambeau, making a remarkable par from a bunker that could easily been named Hell — like the beast on the 14th hole at the Old Course in St. Andrews, where Jack Nicklaus took a 10 in 1995 on the par-5 after needing four shots to extricate himself from Hell.

DeChambeau’s par save was the only one from that bunker on 18 the whole week.

As the last hole unfolded, McIlroy was staring a hole through the television screen in the scoring area, clearly replaying the mistakes he had made in his head and, at the same time, hoping and praying that the short, missed putt at the last wouldn’t mean the difference between losing or a playoff.

Once DeChambeau’s par putt dropped, the result was sealed. McIlroy lost the U.S. Open by one shot for the second consecutive year and turned and walked out of the scoring area with no change in facial expression and headed straight to his car to go home without comment.

On Wednesday in Scotland, we heard McIlroy explain that final day for the first time before his defense at the Genesis Scottish Open. It’s hard to fully assess whether DeChambeau won the U.S. Open or if McIlroy lost it.