Colin Montgomerie has said expectation will have been “the killer” in Rory McIlroy’s failure to win the US Open.
McIlroy came agonisingly close to ending his decade-long wait for a major triumph last weekend. He’d moved into pole position to claim victory at Pinehurst No.2, but effectively handed the trophy back to Bryson DeChambeau with three bogeys on the final four holes.
The Northern Irishman announced he’d be taking a short break from golf in the coming weeks as he looks to get over the disappointment of yet another second-placed finish, his fourth in the big four events.
Attempting to give an insight into how McIlory would’ve been feeling, five-time major runner-up Montgomerie explained how the weight of expectation will have compounded his misery during an appearance on The Sports Agents podcast.
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He said: “I’ve been in that position where I threw one away, particularly Winged Foot in 2006 where I double bogeyed the last hole and threw away the US Open. It’s an awful, awful, feeling.
“Not just for you’ve let yourself down in a way, you feel you’ve let your family down, you feel for your friends and all the support that’s been given to you for those days or those years leading up to that.
“You feel very, very low. You just want the Earth to swallow you up almost. It’s a terrible, terrible feeling of loss. And sport, we’re all involved in it in our ways, it is difficult. Especially when expectation is so high.
“And expectation is the killer in most ways. My biggest wins of my career were the ones that I felt I was expected to win. Expect to win is a very, very difficult ask in the world of sport.”
Europe Team Captain Colin Montgomerie (L) chats with Rory McIlroy during a practice round prior to the 2010 Ryder Cup at the Celtic Manor Resort on September 30, 2010
Colin Montgomerie says Rory McIlory will feel doubly hurt as he was expected to win.
Montgomerie also reckoned McIlroy’s focus could’ve been impacted by his on-off divorce with wife Erica Stoll. The pair were set to part ways before vowing to make their marriage work in the days before the US Open.
He pointed out that McIlroy hadn’t missed a putt under three yards all season before his two close-range blunders on the 16th and 18th in his final round, arguing that the timing wasn’t coincidental.
McIlroy will return to the course to defend his Scottish Open crown on July 11 ahead of his final shot at a major for another year the following week, with Royal Troon Golf Club hosting The Open Championship.
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