“I still think about the short putt that I missed in 2008”: Rory McIlroy opens up on his heartbreaking loss against Bryson DeChambeau at US Open

The 2024 US Open, played at the legendary Pinehurst Resort and Country Club Number 2 course in June, witnessed Rory McIlroy's heartbreaking loss. The Irishman conceded to LIV Golf star, Bryson DeChambeau, by one stroke.

The PGA Tour star needed to make a six foot and six inches long putt on the last hole to make par and seal the victory. However, he missed and carded in a bogey for the hole and settled for solo second place.

Rory McIlroy broke his silence about the Major championship in an interview ahead of the 2024 Genesis Scottish Open where he seeks to defend his title. When asked if that missed putt was the hardest shot he'd ever have to get over in his career, McIlroy said (via PGA Tour):

"I still think about the short putt that I missed at the Crans sur Sierre in 2008 in a playoff. You think about all of them. And I was probably more devastated after that because it was my rookie year. I hadn't won yet. I remember feeling really bad after that for like a good week.

"I stewed on what happened at Pinehurst for a couple of days, but then, yeah, thankfully I can go home and look at what I've achieved in the game and sort of feel OK about myself. Yeah, look, it was a great opportunity. It passed me by, but hopefully, when I get that next opportunity, it won't pass me by.”

Rory McIlroy had tied with Jeff Lucquin for the title at the 2008 Omega European Masters. Both players had final scores of 13 under par for the course and proceeded to a sudden death playoff to determine a winner. Faced with a short putt to continue to the playoff, McIlroy missed the putt to settle for solo second place in his rookie year on the DP World Tour.

The 26-time PGA Tour winner revealed that he still thinks of that putt to this day and related it to his miss at the 2024 US Open. However, he doesn't let his previous experiences get in the way of winning more titles.

Rory McIlroy spoke about his gratitude to the PGA Tour ahead of his start on the DP World Tour-sanctioned event this week. The Genesis Scottish Open defending champion said:

"There's not a day goes by that I don't feel like I'm the luckiest person in the world to get up every morning and be healthy and follow my dream. I'm very appreciative of the position that I'm in in life. "

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Rory McIlroy 2024 Genesis Scottish Open Tee Time

The 35-year-old is set to tee it up at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick, Scottland for the 2024 Genesis Scottish Open. The PGA Tour star fired up a four-round score of 15 under par during last year's edition to take home the title along with 500 FedEx Cup points.

He will tee up for the first round of the tournament at 8:28 am local time with Viktor Hovland and the winner of the event in 2022, Robert MacIntyre. The group will start the round from the back nine of the course. Rory McIlroy will play with the same pairing for the second round at 1:43 pm local time from the Renaissance Club's first hole.