When Rory McIlroy evaded the media and sped out of the parking lot after missing two short putts to choke away the 2024 U.S. Open, golf fans justifiably wondered if he would ever win a major championship again.
Mental demons, not his physical play, were the main deterrents during McIlroy's 11-year major drought, and the collapse at Pinehurst seemed like the final sloppy Jenga pull that toppled the tower.
With the U.S. Open trophy seemingly in his grasp, McIlroy missed a two-footer for par on the 16th hole and a four-footer for par on the 18th hole on Sunday to open the door for Bryson DeChambeau. After the LIV Golf star got up and down on the 18th hole to steal the trophy away, McIlroy fled the scene as quickly as he could.
A few weeks later, after some sulking and reflecting, the Northern Irishman returned to face the media and explain himself.
"There’s nothing that I could have said that was, not that, I mean, it would have been good because you guys would have been able to write something about it or have a few quotes from me. No offense—you guys were the least of my worries at that point," McIlroy told reporters ahead of the 2024 Scottish Open.
"Yeah, I stewed on what happened at Pinehurst for a couple of days, but then, yeah, thankfully, I can go home and look at what I’ve achieved in the game and sort of feel okay about myself," he continued. "Yeah, look, it was a great opportunity. It passed me by, but hopefully, when I get that next opportunity, it won’t pass me by.”
Rory McIlroy can finally joke about his U.S. Open collapse
That next opportunity just happened to arise at the 2025 Masters, and McIlroy finally converted on Sunday to win his first green jacket and complete the career Grand Slam. Now that the monkey is finally off his back after 11 years, the 35-year-old can joke about his past failures without spiraling into a rut.
Ahead of this week's Zurich Classic of New Orleans, McIlroy appeared in front of the media for the first time as a member of the career Grand Slam club. You could certainly tell a difference by the way he spoke and laughed about his U.S. Open choke job.
Take a look.
This is a scary sight for the rest of the golf world.
A loose, relaxed, contented McIlroy isn't what his competitors want to see. The five-time major champion was beatable over the past decade because he would shrivel up at the slightest sign of pressure.
As the wins kept escaping him year after year, the pressure built up more and more. Now that he has a green jacket in his closet, that pressure has completely dissipated.
For the rest of McIlroy's career, he's freed up to attack golf courses and live with the results because he no longer has anything to prove. The mental game has finally caught up to the physical dominance, meaning multiple majors could be in store for McIlroy down the stretch of his career.