What happened to Rory McIlroy is truly incredible: the Northern Irish champion can’t get out of the nightmare, it’s a curse.
The line between summer and nightmare in sport is always very thin, now even Rory McIlroy knows it as he celebrated an unenviable anniversary. A real curse for the Northern Irish champion, but ultimately he went looking for it.
History says that his career, at least in the Majors, is divided in two. At 22, in 2011, his first major triumph in the US Open. Then the following year the PGA Championship and in 2014 the encore in this tournament together with the Open Championship. Of course, a victory never came in the Matsters, mto four Slam tournaments I’m on a nice ticket from visit.
Except that from then on his abstinence began. That year, in 2014, he also said goodbye to his historic girlfriend, the Danish tennis champion Caroline Wozniacki, a few weeks after the wedding. And it is as if an anathema had fallen on her fate. Rory has been a protagonist everywhere in the world, he has won other tournaments and he became decisive for Europe’s victories in the Ryder Cup.
Because in match play, but also in Foursomes and Fourballs, he exalts himself and the United States has experienced this firsthand several times. Now he had the opportunity to take back what he had lost over the years and instead he failed.
McIlroy, the curse continues: in a few minutes he lost everything
It all started on the final holes of the 2024 US Open in Pinehurst, North Carolina. McIlroy started with a 3-stroke deficit on Bryson DeChambeau, but with a great first part in the final round he recovered and passed him.
Almost perfect until the 14th, he came into the lead with four holes to go. Then a bogie at the 15th, but still a chance to win. At the 16th, however, he missed a putt from less than 1 meter. And the drama became total at the 18th: same situation and again an inexplicable mistake for a champion like him. So DeChambeau, who was playing just behind him, he realized he had a chance to win again and he took advantage of it.
He finished with 274 shots, so six under par, one less than his rival who finished in second place. In third position with 276 (therefore -4), two other Americans, Patrick Cantlay and Tony Finau. DeChambeu, an almost 31-year-old Californian, is at his second US Open after the one in 2022. In the world rankings he had fallen to number 131 only because he plays well in LIV and therefore doesn’t score points, but he is well worth the top ten in which he actually returned. Plus he took home $4,300,000, the winner’s prize.
And if one believes in fate, even two years ago he triumphed in the US Open with -6. Rory, on the other hand, collapsed at the best moment and preferred immediately get into the car to leave without making any statement. Now he will have to prepare for the last Major of the year, the Open Championship from 18 July at Royal Troon in Scotland. For the US Open, however, he will have to wait until 2025 at Oakmont Country Club.
