Rory McIlroy's decade-long Major drought continued in arguably the most agonizing of circumstances on Sunday - dropping three shots over the closing four holes at Pinehurst No.2 as Bryson DeChambeau was left to close out his second US Open.
It was DeChambeau's to lose from the start on Sunday, with the American beginning three strokes ahead and in the final group. Yet, after the 30-year-old stumbled out of the gate, McIlroy - who was a hole ahead - was right alongside him at the turn via a red-hot front nine.
The Northern Irishman quickly turned a two-way tie with DeChambeau into a two-shot lead for himself and had only a handful of holes remaining. However, two very short missed putts from McIlroy on holes 16 and 18 later, and the momentum had completed a sharp about-turn.
Once DeChambeau's genius bunker shot stopped only a few feet from the hole and was tapped home for par, both players respective fates were sealed. McIlroy's disappointment was evident and the four-time Major winner quickly disappeared from the property in North Carolina, not sticking around to congratulate the victor or witness the celebratory scenes.
In DeChambeau's post-tournament press conference, the LIV golfer was highly sympathetic to McIlroy's long-running Major woes and admitted he would hate to see anyone lose a championship in that manner.
😱 😱 😱 😱RORY MISSES ON 18.Bryson can win the U.S. Open with a par on 18. pic.twitter.com/lSk0ZzzZK2June 16, 2024
DeChambeau said: "Yeah [I can empathize], Rory is one of the best to ever play. Being able to fight against a great like that is pretty special.
"For him to miss that putt, I’d never wish it on anybody. It just happened to play out that way. He’ll win multiple more major championships. There’s no doubt. I think that fire in him is going to continue to grow.
"I have nothing but respect for how he plays the game of golf because, to be honest, when he was climbing up the leaderboard, he was two ahead, I was like, Uh-oh, uh-oh. But luckily things went my way today."
McIlroy's latest runner-up finish maintains his barren run since the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla, while DeChambeau has watched his own mini drought vanquished courtesy of another US Open to follow up his first Major success at Winged Foot in 2020.
The Crushers GC captain insists that - despite what many might think - McIlroy is more than capable of bouncing back from this latest disappointment, going on to use his own experiences in suggesting it may only be a matter of time before the fifth Major is secured.
THE BUNKER SHOT OF HIS CAREER!@b_dechambeau has this putt left to win the U.S. Open! pic.twitter.com/Vleb6k6PvOJune 16, 2024
Dechambeau said: "I’m sure it will fuel Rory’s fire even more. He’s a strong-minded individual. For me, it was knowing how good my game is, how great of a place it’s in, and just continuing to execute knowing the statistics would eventually fall my way.
"Still hope. Golf, it’s a game of luck. There’s a lot of luck that has to happen and go your way out there. I knew if I could give my 100% effort on every single shot, I’d give myself a good chance this week, just like I did at the PGA, just like I did at the Masters.
"Rory is going to do it. I’d love to have a lot more battles with him. It would be a lot of fun. But, yeah, Rory's going to do it at some point."
Dechambeau's message was almost echoed by his playing partner on Sunday, Matthieu Pavon - who himself recorded a best-ever finish at a Major (fifth), three strokes back of the American.
Frenchman Pavon said that "the more you want it, the tougher it gets" in regard to winning a Major and acknowledged that pressure likely played a part in McIlroy's downfall.
He said: "At the end of the day we are all human. Rory has been chasing another major since many years. He is one of the best players in the world, a true champion.
"It shows you how tough it is. The more you want it, the tougher it gets, and the highest expectation you have for yourself, the tougher it gets, the more pressure you got into.
"Maybe this is a little bit of pressure that got him today for sure, but Rory is just a massive champion. I’m sure he will fight back and really soon."
