“Rory McIlroy lost it rather than Bryson DeChambeau winning it”: 10-time Major winner shares her opinion on Irish golfer missing out on US Open glory
Rory McIlroy managed a late lead during last weekend's U.S. Open before he bogeyed a couple of holes and allowed Bryson DeChambeau to snatch victory. Despite DeChambeau blowing a three-stroke lead heading into the fourth round, McIlroy's missteps helped guide the former to victory.
Annika Sorenstam, the Swedish golfer, recently shared her opinion on Mcllroy's defeat. Having won 10 Majors, the 53-year-old knows a thing or two about winning majors, and according to her, Mcllroy missed out owing to mental lapses.
Here's what Sorenstam had to say about Mcllroy's near miss:
"There's no doubt that his misses were mental mistakes because... he had made 495 putts within three feet prior to this. In a row. Then all of a sudden, you're coming down the stretch, and you're leading. This is on the line. We all know, you don't just lose your technique. It doesn't just wipe away. It's the mental aspect of it."
She added that the U.S. Open demonstrated just how much a Major win meant to Mcllroy.
Sorenstam continued:
"I feel for him... He will rebound... This will be hard for him to take. I would argue that he lost it rather than Bryson DeChambeau winning it."
McIlroy had made a tremendous number of short putts in a row, but two of them just lipped the rim of the cup on the 16th and 18th holes. The latter dropped him to one stroke back, meaning all he could do was hope that DeChambeau bogeyed as well.
DeChambeau has since, admitted that he wasn't sure if he was going to beat McIlroy had he made par on that. The momentum had shifted during the fourth round, and McIlroy played extremely well to erase the three-stroke deficit and claim a two-stroke lead at one point.
However, McIlroy's miscues opened the door and made up for DeChambeau's own mistakes, preventing the Irishman from ending a 10-year Major drought. The close misses and the fact that Rory McIlroy was in the lead in the latter stages, justify Sorenstam's thoughts.
Rory McIlroy to take time off after brutal U.S. Open loss
Rory McIlroy left the U.S. Open immediately after losing the tournament. He didn't speak to the press or anyone, and he was quick to get on a flight. He remained silent until he released a statement on June 17.
In his statement, he called the loss one of the toughest days he's ever encountered as a professional. He congratulated Bryson DeChambeau, referring to him as a 'worthy champion'. Although he was disappointed by some of the events at the U.S. Open final round, he continued, saying he felt more like he was going to win a Major in the near future.