"The nearest point of relief was misidentified” - USGA admits to making incorrect call during Rory McIlroy’s final round at US Open

The United States Golf Association (USGA) has admitted that they made the wrong call during Rory McIlroy's final round of the US Open played on Sunday, June 18.

McIlroy had carded an even-par 70 on the final day at the Los Angeles Country Club to settle for the runner-up position at 9-under, one stroke behind the winner, Wyndham Clark.

As per Sports Illustrated, a USGA executive stated that during the final day of the US Open, McIlroy measured the nearest point of relief from the wrong spot above the bunker on the par-5 14th hole.

The USGA's chief governance officer, Thomas Pagel, was quoted as saying via Sports Illustrated:

“The nearest point of relief was mis-identified; it should have been directly behind the ball. If there’s no area immediately behind the ball, you go to nearest point in the general area.

"But if you look at where the ball was embedded, there was a grassy area below and that should have been the starting point."

On the 14th hole, McIlroy's third shot found the lie just between the green and the bunker. Scottie Scheffler, who was grouped with McIlory for the fourth round, found the ball.

The official, Courtney Myrhum, concluded that the ball was embedded and thus entitled to relief. Anyway, that didn't help Rory much, and he ended up making a bogey on the 14th.

Pagel was confident that the ball was embedded and was entitled to relief. He said, as per Sports Illustrated:

"Now Rory did everything at the discretion of the referee. In her discretion, her judgment was that the reference point for relief was to the side of the ball. And from a ruling standpoint, that’s the end of the story."

Myrham is a veteran official with experience officiating more than 60 USGA Championships.

Pagel said Myrham was an extremely qualified referee and did everything in her judgment, but, upon conducting a further examination, it was established that the reference point of relief was just behind the ball.

He said:

"If you look at where the ball embedded, just below should have been the starting point. But even if his club length had been measured from behind the ball, he still would have been dropping on the shelf from where he played from.

"As it was, he measured the club length from the top of the wall to the right. As he dropped the ball out of that area, he had to drop a second time."

Is Rory McIlroy playing this week?

Rory McIlroy will not be in action for this week's Rocket Mortgage Classic. After finishing T7 at the Travelers Championship on Sunday, June 25, he has decided to take a break this week. He hasn't skipped an event this month.

The World No. 3 golfer in the OWGR has been in great form recently, but he has yet to win a PGA Tour event this year. His only victory came at the DP World Tour's Hero Dubai Desert Classic.

After a week's break, Rory will most likely compete at the John Deere Classic that will take place from July 6 to 9 at TPC Deere Run in Silvis, Illinois.