WATCH: Rory McIlroy makes rapid US Open exit after ‘inexplicable’ near-miss

A more heartbroken man than Rory McIlroy will be tough to find in North Carolina.

The 34-year-old looked set to end his ten-year major drought at Pinehurst No.2 on Sunday before stumbling over the line.

Despite trailing McIlroy by two and playing the final five holes over-par, Bryson DeChambeau reclaimed his 54-hole lead to reign supreme.

It prompted Sky Sports pundit and four-time major champion Dame Laura Davies to say it was ‘inexplicable’ that the Northern Irishman let the championship slip.

“This is a tap-in, it’s inexplicable,” she said, reliving one of McIlroy’s missed putts down the stretch.

“It just shows you how hard it is to win a golf tournament, let alone a US Open on the hardest test they’ve probably had in many a year and sometimes it just doesn’t go your way at the end.

“Will it hurt him? It really could do because it’s such a disappointing loss. We all thought he had it when he got to eight [under].”

Meanwhile, Wayne Riley added McIlroy “just wasn’t up to it.”

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“He missed two short three-footers or however long they are, but you should be holing them. There’s nothing wrong with the greens, they are very fast but it surprises everyone that he missed those.

“He’s been there, done that, won four majors but today I thought he’d put that over the line and now we’re all wondering if this will hurt Rory McIlroy in the future.

“I hope not but that was sad to watch.”

Incredibly, McIlroy had made 100% of his 496 putts from inside three feet this season before failing to convert two of similar length on holes 16 and 18.

And before DeChambeau could even sign his card, McIlroy was off.

Just six minutes after the American completed the triumph, McIlroy threw his clubs into the back of a tournament-sponsored Lexus and wheel-spun his way out of Pinehurst.

Check out the footage below:

Rory was gone before Bryson signed his card 😳

pic.twitter.com/tRiZFgmq2b

— bunkered (@bunkeredgolf) June 16, 2024

Meanwhile, according to dedicated flight tracker radaratlas on X, his plane left Pinehurst at 7.29pm and headed back to West Palm Beach, Florida.

That means he was in the air before DeChambeau had even finished his press conference.

Rory McIlroy's plane #N585RM left #Pinehurst at 7:29pm and is headed back home to West Palm Beach, FL. pic.twitter.com/K6up23nxIU

— radaratlas2 (@radaratlas2) June 16, 2024

McIlroy left without fulfilling any media duties and is schedule to tee it up at this week’s Travelers Championship, the final Signature Event of the PGA Tour season.

John Turnbull A graduate of the University of Stirling, John joined the bunkered team in 2023 as a Content Producer, with a responsibility for covering all breaking news, tour news, grassroots content and much more besides. A keen golfer, he plays the majority of his golf at Falkirk Golf Club. Top of his 'bucket list' is a round of Pebble Beach... ideally in the company of Gareth Bale.