Fans left heartbroken for Rory McIlroy after ‘biggest choke in history of golf’ in final US Open round: ‘I don’t know how he can recover from this’

Rory McIlroy’s winless streak in major tournaments seemed destined to end after a decade. After missing two short putts on Pinehurst’s final three holes, the wait will continue.

McIlroy wasn’t the only one hurt by the way the final round of the US Open played out on Sunday, as he finished one stroke second behind Bryson DeChambeau.

Golf fans were also heartbroken and noticeably upset online once the result became official.

The Northern Irishman astonishingly missed par by two feet on hole No. 16 and by less than four yards on the final green of the 72-hole tournament, suffering another heartbreaking defeat.

McIlroy’s last major tournament win came in August 2014 at the PGA Championship.

‘That’s hard to watch. Plus three for the last four holes. Absolute torture for Rory McIlroy. He still has The Open & Olympics to add to his resume, but it’s hard not to feel bad for him even if you’re not a fan,” said one golf fan on X.

‘I don’t know how Rory McIlroy can recover from a choke like that. Bryson took advantage of all the mistakes,” someone else said on X.

“One of the worst choke jobs in the history of golf belongs to Rory McIlroy. Gifted Bryson DeChambeau who won on a silver platter,” one fan continued on social media.

“Rory McIlroy is an all-time talent, I hope against hope he gets another one someday. But this one sticks. Two shots ahead, two putts of less than three feet each. In a snake-bitten decade, this has got to be the hardest thing to process,” ESPN’s Mike Greenberg said.

Rory McIlroy had not missed a putt within three feet before missing at No. 16 at 496-for-496 this season.

McIlroy’s next chance to win a major, and his final chance to break the streak in 2024, is next month at The Open Championship.

In addition to McIlroy’s 2014 PGA Championship victory, the Northern Irishman won the Open Championship in 2014, his second most recent major win.