Rory McIlroy has delved into his decision to make an immediate exit from last year’s US Open at Pinehurst No. 2 after going over his latest major heartbreak in season three of Netflix’s Full Swing.
McIlroy looked set to finally end his 10-year wait for a fifth major in North Carolina last June, but made errors down the final stretch of the tournament to allow Bryson DeChambeau to swoop in and clinch the crown. The Northern Irishman was playing in the group in front of DeChambeau on championship Sunday.
Rory McIlroy spoke with Full Swing (Image: Netflix)
Having bogeyed the final hole, McIlroy fell a shot behind his LIV Golf rival, meaning he needed DeChambeau to also make a five to keep his US Open hopes alive and force a playoff.
McIlroy was given a glimmer of hope when DeChambeau found the bunker with his second shot. An incredible up-and-down followed from the sand though, allowing the American to make the par he needed to win his home open for the second time in his career.
McIlroy watched on from the scoring room, before infamously exiting the property within minutes of DeChambeau rolling in the winning putt. New footage of the 35-year-old’s dash to the car park has been included in the latest release of Full Swing, which dropped on Netflix on Tuesday.
In the footage, McIlroy is seen making his way through the clubhouse with his caddie Harry Diamond and manager Sean O’Flaherty, who appears to bat the camera crew away as his client makes his way into the locker room. The episode then cuts to McIlroy making his way across the car park before getting in his car and disappearing into the distance.
Rory McIlroy features heavily in Full Swing ( Image: Getty Images)
As part of the Netflix show, the 35-year-old sat down and explained why he felt the need to depart as quickly as possible. “I didn’t want to speak to anyone, didn’t want to see anyone,” McIlroy told the Full Swing cameras.
“I just wanted to get on the plane and go home.” The Northern Irishman claimed he felt he was doing everybody – including himself – a favour by making an exit, in what proved to be one of the toughest moments on his illustrious career on the PGA Tour.
“As crushing as a defeat that I have had, it was probably the toughest finish to a tournament I’ve ever had. So I did everyone a favour by getting out of there.” The mistakes came with the putter, as the Northern Irishman missed short putts at both the 16th and 18th to lose his grip on the tournament.
When the first small miss slid by at 16, McIlroy felt he well and truly opened the door to DeChambeau. He commented: “I think missing the putt on 16, which I hadn’t done all week, I feel like that putt sort of let Bryson back into the tournament.”
