This failure will not easily fade. Rory McIlroy is bound to feel the harsh effects for some time, possibly even in the years ahead, of those fateful 23 minutes on a Sunday evening at Pinehurst. To push his barren 10-year stint without a significant win is one aspect, but uncovering a novel way to miss the mark is another, especially given that he has only himself to hold accountable.
Failing to make two putts within four feet would be a disappointing round for any golfer. However, to do so during the final three holes of a US Open, losing by a single stroke, magnifies the significance. Everything else simply fades into insignificance.
Could Bryson DeChambeau’s bunker shot have affected things differently? It wouldn’t have mattered had McIlroy made those crucial putts. What about the odd club or shot choices towards the end? Merely a humorous afterthought, perhaps something to chuckle over while basking in the glory of a win. Backing off shots in the final holes? Simply a sign of understandable nerves; actually rather charming – provided those putts found their mark.
But they didn’t.
This wasn’t the fault of Harry Diamond, McIlroy’s often-criticised caddie. Diamond managed to get his player to the 70th green of a US Open with a one-shot lead and a 30-inch putt for par. A caddie can only just hope his man would see it through to the end. This wasn’t due to an unexpected flourish of birdies from an on-form rival either – DeChambeau’s score was his poorest of the week and his final five holes were over par.
The blame for this rests solely with McIlroy. In blunt terms, he succumbed to pressure. He executed perfectly until he could see the finishing tape, but then everything went wrong. McIlroy’s normally precise and lethal putter, transformed into something less reliable at the most critical and defining moment. The only plausible explanation for this is a psychological breakdown.
As Justin Ray, a prominent golf analyst pointed out, standing on the 16th green, McIlroy had approached 496 putts that were within three feet during the span of the season, and had successfully completed each one of them. He had mastered these putts under every possible circumstance, from early starts on Thursdays to the last moments of the golf day on Sundays. The idea that his game could collapse through his short putting was almost unimaginable.
The days of spectators fearing for him as he prepared for important putts felt like a distant memory. This Sunday, at Pinehurst, McIlroy was demonstrating one of his most impressive putting performances. Even the two short putts he missed towards the end couldn’t diminish his achievement: he still ranked as the eighth for the final round’s strokes gained putting, according to the raw data.
His technique was flawless and his timing impeccable – a large number of his putts sank smoothly into the hole, a vivid testament to the successful collaboration between him and Diamond in cracking the secret of Pinehurst’s dried, undulating greens over the course of the week. He was like a seasoned magician in Las Vegas, carefully constructing his performance to a stunned audience, who were leaning forward in anticipation for the final act.
But then, the unexpected happened. What should have been the simplest part of his performance became the most challenging. He was under the spotlight, with all eyes fixed on him. His decade-long journey in the majors, marked by countless setbacks and hard work, was on the brink of bearing fruit. The pressure, however, became too much for him.
His concentration faltered to such an extent that he was unable to execute golf’s most fundamental yet challenging task. There’s a valid reason why it’s referred to as choking – swallowing is an instinctive action unless one is forced to think about it, at which point panic can set in without prior warning. This is the unfortunate state that McIlroy found himself in, despite having performed exceptionally the entire week.
The thrilling spectacle is set to carry on for the foreseeable future and it will be of great interest to see his approach to dealing with it. He is scheduled to feature in the Travellers Championship in the coming week. Will he make an appearance? If he does, will he be part of a media briefing? Will he address the topic of choking – a greatly avoided, prohibited topic in the realm of golf?
He indeed ought to. If nothing more, this could aid in reducing the impact of the term for all. All golfers, at one time or another, have experienced choking, yet none dare to confess it. Despite being part of a community generally considered socially awkward compared to other sports athletes, there’s a monotonous macho denial to ever conceding mental vulnerability. McIlroy has the power to alter this reality if he so chooses.
It is absolutely reasonable if that’s not his main concern at this moment. Nevertheless, it might also serve to assist him in some manner. He needs to figure out how to move on from his current situation.
His manoeuvre in the upcoming times will keep us all intrigued for some time.