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For Rory McIlroy, the US Open 2024 ended in disappointment, as he failed to capitalize on his chances and lost to Bryson DeChambeau. He finished at 5-under and ended as the runner-up.
However, this is not the first time McIlroy failed to capitalize on his opportunities in the final round. Even on social media, fans have started calling him a serial choker, considering how many times he has lost majors that he should have won.
In the last 10 years, he has achieved 20 top-10 finishes, which is half of the majors he has competed in. However, none of these have resulted in victories. In this article, we will delve into five such instances where Rory McIlroy faltered at major championships.
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Five instances where Rory McIlroy choked at the majors
1) US Open 2024
Before the final round, McIlroy trailed Bryson DeChambeau by three shots, a comfortable lead for the latter. However, due to McIlroy's strong start and DeChambeau's early struggles, McIlroy became the favorite to win the US Open.
Unfortunately, McIlroy made three bogeys in the last five holes, including two missed putts on the 16th and 18th. Both putts were less than three feet away, and he had not missed such close putts all season
2) US Open 2023
Last year's US Open was another event where McIlroy entered the final day as one of the favorites. He was just one stroke behind the leader, and with a birdie on the first hole of the fourth round, he joined the leaders.
However, that proved to be McIlroy's only birdie of the day. Additionally, he made a bogey on the 14th and finished with a 70. He ended the tournament at 9-under, just one stroke behind Wyndham Clark.
3) The Open Championship 2022
McIlroy had a joint four-stroke lead heading into the final round of the 2022 Open Championship. However, in the final round, he managed just two birdies. In contrast, Cameron Smith and Cameron Young went low in the final round to finish ahead of him.
4) The Open Championship 2018
The Northern Irishman was four strokes behind the leader after three rounds of the 2018 Open Championship.
He started with bogeys, but by the end of the 14th hole, he was tied for the lead at 6-under. However, he failed to make another birdie for the rest of the round and finished fourth.
5) PGA Championship 2010
This could be called Rory McIlroy's first-ever choke in a major championship. At that time, he had no major titles but had a chance to win one at the PGA Championship 2010. He entered the final round three strokes back.
McIlroy reached 11-under after a birdie on the 14th hole but slipped to 10-under with a bogey on the next hole. On the 72nd hole, he missed a 15-footer for birdie, which could have led to a playoff against Martin Kaymer and Bubba Watson. Eventually, he finished at 10-under for the third-place finish behind them.
