The US Open at Pinehurst No.2 will live long in Rory McIlroy’s memory, and not for the right reasons.
The Northern Irishman was left to rue a missed putt on the 18th and two wayward shots during the closing stages of the third major of the year, paving the way for Bryson DeChambeau to claim his second US Open title.
Unfortunately, the dramatic finale in North Carolina was only the start of a series of near misses for McIlroy. The four-time major winner would go on to finish runner-up in the Irish Open and BMW PGA Championship.
McIlroy is now at the Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship, looking to end the DP World Tour season on a high and end his sixth-month wait for a victory, which stems back to the 2024 Wells Fargo Championship at Quail Hollow.
McIlroy’s decision-making has been criticised at times; the 35-year-old, however, believes his swing has let him down in vital moments.
Rory McIlroy ‘let down’ by his swing
Speaking to The Telegraph, the four-time major winner accepted that those three tournaments were the ones where he failed to deliver when required.
“Yeah, there was a missed putt at the US Open,” he said. “And even though I got away with it with an up and down, I missed the green on the 17th there when I really shouldn’t have. There was Wentworth and the week before at the Irish Open.
“I played well in both, but my swing let me down at critical points. So the work I’ve done locked in that studio will hopefully make me more efficient, and I’ll ensure I do some more during December and January before I play on Tour again.”
McIlroy spent three weeks working on his swing before this week’s Abu Dhabi HSBC Championship. The Northern Irishman claimed that he didn’t assess his ball flight once during his studio sessions.
Rory McIlroy reveals 2025 schedule change
During the same interview, McIlroy also revealed that he’s set to change his schedule next year, which will include missing some of the PGA Tour’s lucrative Signature Events.
“There’s a few tournaments that I played this year that I don’t usually play and that I might not play next year,” McIlroy added.
“Like, I played the Cognizant [Classic] in Palm Beach Gardens, [the Texas Open in] San Antonio and the [RBC Heritage in] Hilton Head. And I’ll probably not play the first play-off event in Memphis.
“I mean, I finished basically dead last there this year [tied for 68 in a 70-man field] and only moved down one spot in the play-off standings. Look, I’ve done the hard slog. I’ve done 25 to 30 events a year. And I’m not getting any younger.”
After the conclusion of the DP World Tour season, a confirmed date for the diary is McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler’s match against Bryson DeChambeau and Brooks Koepka on December 17. It’s unclear when McIlroy will feature again once the Las Vegas showdown as taken place.
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