It might be fitting that someone from Hollywood won this year's US Open at the Los Angeles Country Club. But Rory McIlroy, born in the Northern Irish town of Hollywood, did not have such a year.
On Sunday, McIlroy was chasing his first major championship title in nine years, a drought that continues to overshadow a glittering career that began with four major titles from 2011 to 2014. In April, he failed to qualify at the Masters Tournament. A month later, he finished seventh in the PGA Championship.
Then, on June 6, McIlroy, the most vociferous loyalist backing the PGA Tour in its feud with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf circuit, learned just hours before news broke that the two tours had surprisingly formed a business partnership.
McIlroy, like almost all PGA Tour players, felt blind.
But on Sunday, the bubbly and smiling McIlroy, 34, made his enthusiastic comeback in his pursuit of another major title, in his 123rd US Open final. He birdied the opening hole and for much of the next four hours looked poised to roll over eventual tournament winner Wyndham Clark, joint third round leader with Rickie Fowler.
McIlroy, however, never birdied the other hole, and in the end, Clark, after a few nervous closing moments, beat McIlroy by one stroke as both golfers hit an even par 70s. It was McIlroy's third runner-up in a major and his 10th top-five finish since 2014.
“I fought until the end, and I'm getting close,” McIlroy said Sunday of his quest for a fifth major title, adding: “I have to keep putting myself in this position and, you know, sooner or later it's going to happen. will happen to me.”
McIlroy said he felt a connection between his performance on Sunday and finishing second at last year's British Open in St. Louis. Andrews.
“The last two real opportunities I had in the majors were very similar performances,” he said. “Not many mistakes.”
McIlroy's pursuit came down to the final straw of the event, as Clark, playing in the final group of the day, was forced to make two putts from 60 feet on the 18th green to claim the championship.
McIlroy admitted that he expected mistakes.
“You don't want to wish anyone badly, but you do expect three putts,” he said. “You hope to somehow get into the playoffs to keep giving yourself a chance. You support one man, and that man is yourself in that moment. A mistake can give you a glimmer of hope.
“But Wyndham was pretty solid all day, and it was two great putts in the end.”
McIlroy's fourth round started well as he hit the green on the par-5 first hole, 585 yards on his second shot and two putts for the opening birdie that briefly tied him for the tournament lead.
But he struggled to capitalize on that early momentum even as he went par after par — a total of 12 straight. He showed gallantry in some thrilling four-foot par putts but failed to get his approach close enough for an easier birdie attempt.
McIlroy held on but could not convert a putt of more than seven feet halfway through the round. On the eighth green, he made an eight-foot birdie putt far left of the hole, a missed opportunity that McIlroy specifically mentioned in the post-round press conference.
At the par-3 ninth, McIlroy's towering iron approach shot came to rest 14 feet from the flag. As he made his way to the green, the fans in the two packed stands begged him for a fairly easy putt that would have tied Clark, but once again McIlroy was unable to capitalize on the moment.
McIlroy's consecutive pars ended at the par-5 14th after his tee shot hit the rough left side of the fairway. He was forced to make a short lay up from the green with his second shot, although he later faced a short wedge to the green.
McIlroy later said that he was choosing between two clubs to take the shot, but he felt a gust of wind just before he started swinging, and it hampered the shot's momentum.
“I have the right club, but I might have to wait an extra 15 or 20 seconds to let those little gusts die down,” he said.
McIlroy's golf ball landed about a foot from perfect and failed to clear a large bunker protecting the front of the 14th green. The ball is embedded in the grassy edge between the sand and the green.
He was given free relief in the grass to the right of the bunker, but his indecisive, dropping chip onto the green rolled 26 feet from the hole. That led to a bogey, and McIlroy fell to nine under, which extended Clark's lead to two strokes.
McIlroy closed with a regular par four.
He was asked at the end of Sunday's press conference if he was tired of answering questions about the nine-year wait for his fifth major championship win. He admitted that it was tiring but added: “At the same time, when I finally win my next major, it's going to be very, very sweet. I'm going to get through 100 Sundays like this to get to another big championship.