Getty Rory McIlroy looked stunned after Bryson DeChambeau won the 2024 U.S. Open.
Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy gave golf fans one of the more epic U.S. Opens in recent memory. Yet, it was a heartbreaking finish for McIlroy whose reaction was captured on camera during the NBC broadcast as DeChambeau made the winning putt.
The video below of McIlroy’s stunned reaction is going viral. McIlroy missed a short putt that would have forced a U.S. Open playoff against DeChambeau.
McIlroy also bolted out of Pinehurst as soon as the tournament ended declining to speak to DeChambeau or media members. Footage has emerged of McIlroy quickly leaving the golf course.
🚗 💨 Rory McIlroy takes off from Pinehurst No. 2 @TrackingRory
“Rory just *flew* out of the parking lot,” CBS Sports’ Kyle Porter detailed in a June 16, 2024 message on X. “May have been off the property before Bryson signed his card.”
NBC revealed that McIlroy declined their request for an interview after the golfer finished in second place.
Rory McIlroy Lost Nearly $2 Million by Finishing in Second Place at the U.S. Open
💔🏆😔 The Heartbreak continues for Rory McIlroy @TrackingRory
McIlroy forcing a playoff would still not have guaranteed the golfer would have won the tournament. It is still a heartbreaking way for McIlroy to lose the U.S. Open.
McIlroy lost nearly $2 million by finishing in second place instead of winning the U.S. Open. DeChambeau won $4.3 million after finishing first at the U.S. Open. Comparatively, McIlroy earned $2,322,000 for his second place finish.
Bryson DeChambeau on Change in Fan Support: ‘I Tried to Show Everybody Who I Was’
One of the best moments of my life
McIlroy is still searching for his first major win in nearly a decade. DeChambeau has successfully gained the support of fans during the 2024 major tournaments, and the golfer reflected on the change in reaction after previously being more of a heel on the PGA Tour.
“It’s meant a lot to me. Just thinking back three years ago, the landscape was a lot different,” DeChambeau told reporters on June 15. “I tried to show everybody who I was. I didn’t do it the right way and could have done a lot of things better. I’m lucky enough to have a great team around me to help me move in the right direction with the content that we’re producing, social media.
“And then also just the great perspective on life. Those combination of things have allowed me to have not only a new perspective but an opportunity to show myself in a different light and to entertain the fans out there on the golf course.”
Bryson DeChambeau Was in Rory McIlroy’s Position After Finishing 2nd at the 2024 PGA Championship
Pure class from Bryson DeChambeau as he tips his cap towards the winner of the PGA Championship Xander Schauffele, “I’m proud of Xander for finally getting the job done. He’s an amazing golfer & well deserved major champion.” #PGAChamp
It is worth noting that DeChambeau knows a bit of what McIlroy is feeling. DeChambeau has been in contention at both the Masters and PGA Championship.
The golfer was practicing on the range in anticipation of a playoff as Xander Schauffele was able to close out the PGA Championship with a winning putt. This loss was not quite as heartbreaking as what McIlroy experienced given the golfer missed such a short putt. We are sure to hear from McIlroy sooner rather than later, but for now the pain of letting another major slip away was too painful for the golfer to discuss.