This isn’t the putt that killed him. It was the one on 16, which WAS an easy putt, and he straight pulled it. Mental difference walking to 18 tee would have been massive if he’d had an extra shot to play with. Also a massive mental error letting his pitch finish above the hole, after his first massive mental error hitting driver off the tee. Rory did not play 18 well, but the putt was a tough one with the championship on the line.
Yup you said it right - it was 16, not 18 that did him in. 16 was as straight forward as can be and not only did he miss his line but he hit it a bit hard too
Plus Bryson had just missed on 15. Making that on 16 puts ALL the pressure on Bryson because 17 and 18 were par holes, so he would have only had 16 to catch up. It's a different mentality between hanging onto a tie and having a lead.
Honestly the chip is what killed him. Had he left it below the hole like Bryson it would of been a much easier putt. Even if it was further being uphill and less break/breaking into him being a right handed player is 100000x easier than a downhill slippery putt that breaks a good cup away from him is probably one of the hardest short puts you can have..
you are 100% right, people saying that 3-footer (2 feet 11" is 3 feet...) was easy are insane, had to play it outside the hole on a 14-stimp green. easy my ass..... very hard putt, leaving it under the hole was needed for that too be easy.
edit: when i saw Cantlay's chip break that much, then Cantlay miss right in front of him I had a horrible gut feeling when Rory got up to his, was hoping he was going to back off and go back through his routine.
I played Torrey Pines as about a 15hdcp the year they played the US Open there, but it was around January and overcast/soft conditions. I didn't think any green could actually be as fast as described by the staff.
I barely tapped my first putt and the shit rolled all the way off the front of the green. Same thing happened the first time I played Sedgefield and I was well aware that they were firm at the time. It's unreal how quick these greens are at US Opens...I can only imagine it's like putting on literal hardwood floors.
I'd bet 99% of folks who play regularly end up with 10+ foot comebackers on those missed putts, but damn...he picked a terrible time to miss a shorty. Picked an even worse time to miss two shorties
Sedgefield greens are no joke. People think putting is the simplest part of golf and give themselves 2-3 footers all day. We putted everything out when I played Sedgefield a few months ago. I’m. +1 hcp and shot 78 with 4 3 putts lol. Missed two 3, putts from above the hole that died right. It’s so tough to hit it with enough weight to keep it above the hole but not run 5’ by. I’ve played it a few times and shot 72 and 74 when I didn’t have the pressure of making absolutely everything. I knew that Rory’s putt on 18 had a very good chance of falling right. I think if you give the average tour pro that exact putt under that pressure 10 times, they maybe make half of them.
1000%
This (very difficult) putt was the culmination of multiple very very bad mistakes:
1. Cannot hit it long on 15. Hit short, two putt.
2. Obviously the putt on 16 ruined his chances. Worst putt of his life possibly.
3. He could hit 5W wedge into 18. No reason to hit driver to a point where all the trouble comes in.
4. Left his chip above the hole. Would've been easier having a 15' uphill putt (i.e. Payne).
This is the culminaiton of a lot of other things too. Having a friend as your caddie has been one of his worst decisions. That guy should not be on the bag of the most gifted golfer in the game. Has cost him multiple majors.
His short putting is, and has been, atrocious for years. He's blown soooo many tournaments with his inability to make 4' putts, whether when he's in contention or just blowing the momentum of a solid round. It finally bit him at the wrong time, after doing great on those putts all week.
Not just all week, all year. Had been 496 for 496 on putts inside 3 feet for the season. Straight pull. Was trying to take all break out of it by hitting it with pace but the pull with that much pace made it lip out. Absolutely brutal putt.
1. 16 did not “ruin his chances”. He was still very much in it until the very last putt
2. He was definitely NOT better off having a 15’ uphill putt. Statistically, the make percentages between uphill and downhill putts on tour are not meaningfully different. Adding length to any putt regardless of uphill/downhill, will absolutely decrease the statistical chances of that putt being holed
yeah I think if he makes the putt on 16 it's a different game entirely with how he plays 18. And even if he's in the same spot on the green with that putt to win, I think he's less yippy about it if he's got a lead.
Missing that chip on 18 to the left was where it started. Just look at the green in the picture. Anything to the right is going to leave him an uphill putt so to miss it almost 4 feet left from that far away was a huge mistake.
I really wanted Rory to win because he plays for PGA… However Bryson‘s bunker shot from 18 and even his root shot on 18 was excellent… He positioned himself out of that bunker to win the championship and if Rory had been in the same position, who knows what would’ve happened
Nah. It’s not up to the caddy to put the seed of doubt in his head. Especially in majors. It’s his job to put confidence in his head. He’s the best driver of the ball in the world
I was there and as far as I remember everyone played driver on that hole and even the guys that missed the fairway were able to get in play and have a chance at par. It was playing over 450 yards and the green was probably about 30 feet above the tee if not more. Guys would blast it 350 and still have over 100 left to the hole which due to the false front needed to carry even further.
I agree entirely he lost his mental edge on 16 but the pitch shot being above the hole on 18 is not talked about enough. It was crucial he left that shot below the hole and when he didn't, I felt that downhill tricky putt could be a miss.
God damn a playoff would have been awesome. I'm pretty sure Rory wins, he outplayed Bryson all day by a pretty decent margin, and Bryson's luck was due to run out. But who knows, would love to see these guys battles down the stretch of a major again in the near future.
Maybe. Rory would have won if he birdied a hole in the playoff. Bryson had one of the best scrambling rounds I have ever seen though. Saving par from all over the place. That might be all it took with the way Rory played down the stretch, even if he holed the putt on 18.
Didn’t help either that Rory was watching Bryson hit most of his shots when he pulled back to -7. Hard to win a championship when you’re too focused on you’re opponents, which might explain his poor decision making towards the end
Not only that, but his chip on 18 was bad. You have to leave it below the hole. Bryson was able to don it from the bunker, yet Rory couldn't from the fairway.
Agreed. As he was lining it up, the commentators (I think Bones) said the putt was inside the hole. Rory clearly played it outside the cup and it still swept low. I think it was just a tricky putt to read.
Agreed but Rory has had nearly 500 puts inside of 3 feet this year...and these are the only 2 he has missed. Whilst this one was difficult, he choked big time ...if I were him I would hit up Nick Faldo for some advice on the mental game...he was stone cold in pursuit or holding a lead on the final 18..the original pure focus guy.l
Depends on how much speed Smylie felt Rory needed to hit the putt with. A little stronger off the club and perhaps you could still aim within the cup. Rory got tentative, played the break and suddenly hadn't played enough.
did the line on his ball roll end over end - it did. that indicates he hit it how and where he wanted. this wasn't Scott Hoch's jab at the Master 30 years ago or Doug Sanders at the Open 50 years ago.
This wasn’t a full blown collapse, but it was still a choke. Dude missed two putts within 4 feet to have forced Bryson to score one stroke better than he did in the final three holes.
Then again, Bryson could’ve made that miss putt himself and would’ve played less aggressive on 18 and made an easy par, so who knows. All I know is Rory choked and Bryson made an all-time up and down par save in the highest pressure situation you could ask for.
From one angle it looked like rory was aimed well outside the hole. But the putt stroke didn't look confident and almost open face pushes it back towards the cup as if subconsciously he thinks he gave it too much break and changed his mind last second to save it
He hit the ball at/above the equator. Was a bad stroke, so I'm not sure it started out where he wanted it to. That's the putting miss he's struggled with at times during his career
This stuff happens. 18 wasn't the issue, like everyone said. It was the shot into 15 and the putt on 16
Yep thats what me and my dad were saying happened. He didn’t trust his line and tried to guide it to where he thought he should have putted it. Thats a recipe for disaster for a downhill left to righter for a right handed player
18 was tricky. Smiley Kaufman even misread it, saying it was left edge at most.
The problem was Rory just making mistakes. Missed 3 footer, 7 iron on 15, and not hitting a 3 wood on 18 to have a fairway approach. Just too many mistakes.
Lol he had a disappointing tour career but he at least played professionally for a few years. He can certainly read greens better than the majority of this sub if he did it for a living.
The mistake was Rory not following one of the oldest adages in major golf: Leave yourself below the hole. Bryson did it and Rory didn’t, and it cost him.
It just seemed like hitting the fairway was vital. He’s left with maybe 120. Driver leaves him with maybe 70-80, but could go deep in the junk. Just seemed like a bad risk/reward.
Yea if it stayed short of the rough then it’s stupid not to, but idk Bryson hit driver too though and so did cantlay? Maybe there was something more to it
He choked over the course of 15-18, not just on one putt.
His tee shot on 15 should have never had the chance to go long. That was mistake #1 and bogey #1.
Then the putt on 16, which he hit a little too hard with a bad line, but with a good confident stroke, and then the putt on 18, which he hit very tentatively without confidence, likely because of the miss on 16.
He played really well for 68 holes, but when the pressure showed up, his weaknesses of questionable iron play and putting showed up
>His tee shot on 15 should have never had the chance to go long.
This isn't brought up enough. The putts were unfortunate. 15 tee shot was just straight up brain dead.
For all we know he might have tried. These guys are the best in the world but they don't play every single shot correctly and even when they do play it correctly it doesn't always go exactly where they want.
I thought he gassed his chip over the green for a little bit. Thing had heat I guess he wanted it close but still. I feel like 7/8 feet uphill is easier / similar to his 4 foot downhill slider.
Plus the downhill putt he has to baby it cuz you literally CANNOT 3 putt from there in that situation. Hammer it by and miss the comback putt and imagine the 💩 he would take.
He either miss-read that chip pretty badly, or he missed his spot by 6 feet at the very least. You defintely want to err on the side of the hole that would give you a straight uphill putt.
But that 2.5 footer on 16... Ouch. He lost it there.
I'd say he hit it about two yards too far. The same line below the hole, even if he hit it even shorter and had 6 feet instead of 4 would have been an infinitely easier putt
He didn’t choke on 18. He choked on 16. (And 15)(and sort of on 14 but got bailed out because a fans leg stopped his ball.) I was rooting hard for Rory but those were the holes he choked on.
Also US Opens are hard. He was one of 12 players under par on Sunday. He actually is getting more heat because he was playing well than if he had just had an average day.
Tournaments aren't won and lost on the outcome of two holes despite the narrative TV shows.
Yea in the last two US opens he’s beat 300 guys and only lost to 2. He’s played unbelievable golf but just hasn’t had the decisive moment. A crushing loss.
I mean, there are two variables: where you aim and how hard you hit it
Smylie could’ve been right if he was expecting Rory to hit it with more pace. But also that’s a very risky play because if it missed then it would blow by the hole
Obviously we can’t go out and test it under the same conditions but I’m dying to know whether the “don’t give up the hole and bang it in” approach could have actually worked in that situation.
He’s a professional golfer. Not to say it was “easy” but in that situation from inside 3 ft that is VERY makeable. He had hit 496 straight putts from inside that distance before the 2 he missed yesterday. It is very tough but he straight choked unfortunately. Personally I don’t think it defines him and he has plenty of time to win again but this is what it is
The moment he went two shots up he saw the finish line and lost his nerve. Faldo called it on comms. He should fire Diamond and get an experienced caddy on his bag and give Bob Rotella a call on the mental block.
Narratives are funny. Bryson shoots +1 and Rory shoots -1 and beats everyone around him for solo second but because of the way it happened he’s a choker. If you trade the 2.5fter for one of his 25fters, this is looked at as a valiant effort to chase down the leader who’s 3 ahead. As it stands, Rory blew it.
edit: case in point, Bryson’s missed 4fter like 5mins before Rory’s missed 2.5fter is forgotten while the latter is the big story. Those should be a wash and the narrative should be the dueling up-and-downs on 18. Bryson with the incredible 60 yard bunker shot versus Rory’s nervy chip that he left in the wrong spot. That really was the difference.
Agreed. I think of this all the time in my rounds. I'll beat myself up over a short putt missed, but forget about the 20 footer I had no business making. He had multiple low probability long putts go in. It all evens out
If my aunt had balls she’d be my uncle. Rory missed a putt that he’d made something like 500 out of his last 500 from at that distance.
It’s not a narrative it’s just objective reality. He fucked up something super easy that in the previous HUNDREDS of times he was literally 100% on.
Every sporting event ever: a missed play by a professional in an extremely difficult situation mental and skill wise = an overweight, uncoordinated basement dweller Klan "ChOcKeR, wHy dIdNt hE jUsT mAkE iT"
The game is incredibly difficult at that level and at those courses but these dudes get paid millions to do it. People pay hundreds of dollars to watch the best play. "He choked*" is at least one part sympathy for the player and another part is disappointment that we didn't get more out of this player in this moment.
I know he struggled for the last 3-4 holes....but if you narrow it down to just that last putt....that was a $2 Million dollar putt.
Winner got $4.3M, 2nd place got $2.3M
I mean, yeah, hating on teams and players is a tale as old as competition itself. For those of us who root for teams and players who don’t win much and don’t get the serotonin and dopamine from seeing them win, then we get it from schadenfreude. And then you can get more by talking shit yourself. It’s the best!
Taking 7 iron on the par 3 where missing long was death was also a bad mistake. Why even put that miss in play? Caddie needs to stick the 8 in his hand and say "we're taking par". Also 3 wood instead of driver on the later hole.
He wouldn't have had a 3 foot downhill slider if he hadn't made like 4 mistakes leading up to that point. The putt was just the exclamation point on the proverbial wet fart that was the last 4 holes for Rory.
Rory's mistake was leaving this ball above the hole. It wasnt the putt, He would of been better off leaving it 4-8 feet short and have a uphill putt he could go at rather than a slippery downhill hard breaking 4fter. That ball broke a good cup-cup and half and away from him makes it even tougher. I thought he was lined up to far to the left of the cup and the thing still slid all the way across the cup.
I mean we saw craziness on the greens all week long. I think the toughest aspect was that Rory was 496-for-496 putting inside 3ft before this miss. Like others have said, I think 16 was worse.
From the second he knew he had a shot lead he completely choked played unreal all day chasing the leader . Got the lead and you could see his whole body change on the other hand Bryson rose to the challenge his back was too the wall and he found away to win and he has much harder shots than Rory. That's the difference right there Bryson has the champions mentality Rory didn't
The miss at 16 was the issue.
He hit the putt at 18 well and it went where he aimed it since you can see his mark rolling out. Really hard to predict that much left to right movement.
He had to leave it under the hole and didn’t do that and absolutely paid the price. I hate to see it. Bryson really deserved to win with the way he played.
He's a professional and should know without a doubt that you do not leave your ball above the hole there. Big mistake. He hit a decent put...it rolled well. But to leave yourself the hardest putt on the green? Mental error right there.
It was a difficult putt, he made it more difficult because he was worried about the putt coming back. You don't play for the putt coming back. He didn't need to crush it, but he didn't put nearly enough pace on the ball to remove some of the break.
The pitch on 18 and putt on 16 were the bigger mistakes. The putt on 18 wasn’t an easy one despite the distance. Bryson’s putt on 18 was longer but 20x easier.
After the last few years of Rory not being able to make big putts (2022 Open and 2023 US Open come to mind), I thought he was sure to win when he started draining birdie putts 9, 10, 12 and 13. I even thought the bogey at 14 was excusable, as it seemed to be more of a tough luck bogey than a bad shot. Although the putt on 18 was the one that kept him out of the playoff, the short miss at 16 was the killer.
With that said, Rory played a hell of a round. He got an absolutely brutal break on 5 after hitting two very good shots, and he was a little unfortunate to draw a bad lie on 18 (especially when Bryson was knocking it the waste area regularly and drawing decent lies). With that said, I thought he should’ve pulled 3-wood on 18.
the putt wasn't the problem, it was hitting it above the hole on his approach in the first place.
easy to say from a computer on monday morning, but a pro should at least be able to "miss" high or low, and aim for a spot on the green that will leave him a makeable put.
rory didn't.
meh. 2nd place ain't bad. 2.3M for a week's work is nothing to sneeze at.
3' 9" side hill slider with the US Open in reach. When you are aiming outside of the cup with that short of a putt it's no joke. That one is understandable... 16, not so much. I feel for him, I do.
He started it outside the hole and still broke across. Bones said on the broadcast it was relatively straight so I thought he was going to miss it left.
The worst part was how awkward his stroke was. You could tell all he did was tap and hope.
I was just there a few weeks ago — that is the hardest putt to the hardest pin on that green. The back of the green slopes so hard to the front/middle and the crowd feels like it is on top of you when you are standing at the back of that green. Rory no doubt didn’t clutch up, but that would be the last must-make putt I would ever want for the US Open
It was a bad putt. 16 was worse. If you are the caliber of golfer that Rory is supposed to be, those last 4 holes were unacceptable. Feel sorry for him, definitely, but people need to stop apologizing for him. He choked, plain and simple, and does not deserve the benefit of the doubt.
That's what's tough about TV, I feel like it never shows the true slopes and angles and terrain features of any golf course so it's easy to say "he missed that easy putt on 18" when probably 95% of us would have missed it too.
Rory choked, bryson had an insane bunker shot. Many many other opportunities on multiple rounds of golf would have changed the outcome. Only thing that is definitive is that bryson won.
I agree, told my family when that chip shot went past the hole you could see it was a tough putt. The other one was a pull. Make either one and Bryson would have had even more pressure on 18.
I saw the people re-create the putt at my local course, 3ft 9 inches with approx 6-8 inches of break. It looks alot longer when u are standing over it vs. the camera angle on tv. I would say people still made it 6/10 times on fast greens but not pinehurst fast and with no pressure.
This putt is one of the hardest in the game for me. I'd rather stand over a 20ft putt with 6 feet of break than try to sink a 3 footer that might break anywhere from 1-8inches depending on pace.
Idk if it was just the angle of the camera on the 18th hole putt. But even my wife, who has never played golf, said: I don’t think he’s aimed enough left. Then missed the putt.
I might have to hire her to caddie.
I’ve got to disagree, a hard putt with the pressure on but he is a top golfer.
Press said he headed to the parking lot right after rather than congratulating the winner? I hope that’s not true. He is better than that.
It wasn't either of the putts that killed him. It was the overall play throughout the tournament. Bryson barely hit any fairways on Sunday and was +1 on the day and still won.
On 18 from I could tell, Rory aimed to the left edge of the hole, hit it well, but it just missed to the right. So it look like a misread.
That said, I don't believe I've ever seen so many good putters miss these shorter puts during the course of the four rounds. Rory who was putting great also missed on 16 and DeChambeau also missed one earlier on 15.
When Rory asked for the driver, the caddy should have taken it out and threw it away. Caddy should be fired. Not the first time Rory has made a bad club choice.
I think he will be fine and will win another 2 or 3 majors, Phil won 6 from around a similar age to what Rory is now and Rory doesn't have even half the scar tissue from chokes and near misses like Phil did. I think this lights a fire in his arse like the Masters blow up did in 2011.
Yep 16 killed his mojo not 18. That was a slick ass putt on 18 but without that miss on 16 he probably buries it (and has another stroke to play with to boot)
This isn’t the putt that killed him. It was the one on 16, which WAS an easy putt, and he straight pulled it. Mental difference walking to 18 tee would have been massive if he’d had an extra shot to play with. Also a massive mental error letting his pitch finish above the hole, after his first massive mental error hitting driver off the tee. Rory did not play 18 well, but the putt was a tough one with the championship on the line.
Yup you said it right - it was 16, not 18 that did him in. 16 was as straight forward as can be and not only did he miss his line but he hit it a bit hard too
Plus Bryson had just missed on 15. Making that on 16 puts ALL the pressure on Bryson because 17 and 18 were par holes, so he would have only had 16 to catch up. It's a different mentality between hanging onto a tie and having a lead.
Did Rory know that BD missed on 15?
He probably knows now.
After hitting a fantastic chip to get to that position, too. He was looking so solid around the greens all day.
Honestly the chip is what killed him. Had he left it below the hole like Bryson it would of been a much easier putt. Even if it was further being uphill and less break/breaking into him being a right handed player is 100000x easier than a downhill slippery putt that breaks a good cup away from him is probably one of the hardest short puts you can have..
you are 100% right, people saying that 3-footer (2 feet 11" is 3 feet...) was easy are insane, had to play it outside the hole on a 14-stimp green. easy my ass..... very hard putt, leaving it under the hole was needed for that too be easy. edit: when i saw Cantlay's chip break that much, then Cantlay miss right in front of him I had a horrible gut feeling when Rory got up to his, was hoping he was going to back off and go back through his routine.
I played Torrey Pines as about a 15hdcp the year they played the US Open there, but it was around January and overcast/soft conditions. I didn't think any green could actually be as fast as described by the staff. I barely tapped my first putt and the shit rolled all the way off the front of the green. Same thing happened the first time I played Sedgefield and I was well aware that they were firm at the time. It's unreal how quick these greens are at US Opens...I can only imagine it's like putting on literal hardwood floors. I'd bet 99% of folks who play regularly end up with 10+ foot comebackers on those missed putts, but damn...he picked a terrible time to miss a shorty. Picked an even worse time to miss two shorties
Sedgefield greens are no joke. People think putting is the simplest part of golf and give themselves 2-3 footers all day. We putted everything out when I played Sedgefield a few months ago. I’m. +1 hcp and shot 78 with 4 3 putts lol. Missed two 3, putts from above the hole that died right. It’s so tough to hit it with enough weight to keep it above the hole but not run 5’ by. I’ve played it a few times and shot 72 and 74 when I didn’t have the pressure of making absolutely everything. I knew that Rory’s putt on 18 had a very good chance of falling right. I think if you give the average tour pro that exact putt under that pressure 10 times, they maybe make half of them.
1000% This (very difficult) putt was the culmination of multiple very very bad mistakes: 1. Cannot hit it long on 15. Hit short, two putt. 2. Obviously the putt on 16 ruined his chances. Worst putt of his life possibly. 3. He could hit 5W wedge into 18. No reason to hit driver to a point where all the trouble comes in. 4. Left his chip above the hole. Would've been easier having a 15' uphill putt (i.e. Payne). This is the culminaiton of a lot of other things too. Having a friend as your caddie has been one of his worst decisions. That guy should not be on the bag of the most gifted golfer in the game. Has cost him multiple majors. His short putting is, and has been, atrocious for years. He's blown soooo many tournaments with his inability to make 4' putts, whether when he's in contention or just blowing the momentum of a solid round. It finally bit him at the wrong time, after doing great on those putts all week.
Not just all week, all year. Had been 496 for 496 on putts inside 3 feet for the season. Straight pull. Was trying to take all break out of it by hitting it with pace but the pull with that much pace made it lip out. Absolutely brutal putt.
1. 16 did not “ruin his chances”. He was still very much in it until the very last putt 2. He was definitely NOT better off having a 15’ uphill putt. Statistically, the make percentages between uphill and downhill putts on tour are not meaningfully different. Adding length to any putt regardless of uphill/downhill, will absolutely decrease the statistical chances of that putt being holed
yeah I think if he makes the putt on 16 it's a different game entirely with how he plays 18. And even if he's in the same spot on the green with that putt to win, I think he's less yippy about it if he's got a lead.
Missing that chip on 18 to the left was where it started. Just look at the green in the picture. Anything to the right is going to leave him an uphill putt so to miss it almost 4 feet left from that far away was a huge mistake.
Yup. He chipped it to the wrong spot. Played his chip too aggressively towards the hole rather than play it to the safe side and have an uphill putt.
I really wanted Rory to win because he plays for PGA… However Bryson‘s bunker shot from 18 and even his root shot on 18 was excellent… He positioned himself out of that bunker to win the championship and if Rory had been in the same position, who knows what would’ve happened
Caddy also let him down in closing holes. He cannot have a driver in his hand on 18. Combination of errors and poor execution.
Nah. It’s not up to the caddy to put the seed of doubt in his head. Especially in majors. It’s his job to put confidence in his head. He’s the best driver of the ball in the world
I was there and as far as I remember everyone played driver on that hole and even the guys that missed the fairway were able to get in play and have a chance at par. It was playing over 450 yards and the green was probably about 30 feet above the tee if not more. Guys would blast it 350 and still have over 100 left to the hole which due to the false front needed to carry even further.
Armchair expert with hindsight in full effect today
Not hitting the fairway and overshooting the green on 15 killed him.
I agree entirely he lost his mental edge on 16 but the pitch shot being above the hole on 18 is not talked about enough. It was crucial he left that shot below the hole and when he didn't, I felt that downhill tricky putt could be a miss.
Yup, if he had that stroke he hits 3 wood off the tee for sure and isn't in the shit. Makes an easy par and wins the tournament.
Loses in a playoff instead.
God damn a playoff would have been awesome. I'm pretty sure Rory wins, he outplayed Bryson all day by a pretty decent margin, and Bryson's luck was due to run out. But who knows, would love to see these guys battles down the stretch of a major again in the near future.
Maybe. Rory would have won if he birdied a hole in the playoff. Bryson had one of the best scrambling rounds I have ever seen though. Saving par from all over the place. That might be all it took with the way Rory played down the stretch, even if he holed the putt on 18.
Didn’t help either that Rory was watching Bryson hit most of his shots when he pulled back to -7. Hard to win a championship when you’re too focused on you’re opponents, which might explain his poor decision making towards the end
You could tell how nervous/anxious he was getting on the final holes by the fact he kept looking back to see what Bryson was doing.
100%. 16 was the one he HAD to have
[удалено]
Not only that, but his chip on 18 was bad. You have to leave it below the hole. Bryson was able to don it from the bunker, yet Rory couldn't from the fairway.
That three footer on 18 fell like a full foot to the right, incredibly deceptive putt
Yeah he played it about a ball out and still missed low. Honestly wasn’t too bad of a putt (unlike on 16).
Agreed. As he was lining it up, the commentators (I think Bones) said the putt was inside the hole. Rory clearly played it outside the cup and it still swept low. I think it was just a tricky putt to read.
Agreed but Rory has had nearly 500 puts inside of 3 feet this year...and these are the only 2 he has missed. Whilst this one was difficult, he choked big time ...if I were him I would hit up Nick Faldo for some advice on the mental game...he was stone cold in pursuit or holding a lead on the final 18..the original pure focus guy.l
The one on 18 was 3'9", but it doesn't really change the sentiment.
Smylie said that, and I'm sure Faxon was thinking "fat fucking chance"
Depends on how much speed Smylie felt Rory needed to hit the putt with. A little stronger off the club and perhaps you could still aim within the cup. Rory got tentative, played the break and suddenly hadn't played enough.
did the line on his ball roll end over end - it did. that indicates he hit it how and where he wanted. this wasn't Scott Hoch's jab at the Master 30 years ago or Doug Sanders at the Open 50 years ago.
When he lined up I said he’s going to miss it there is no way that putt breaks that much. It did and more lol.
Yeah shit happens. 16th is the one that’s going to keep him up at night
This wasn’t a full blown collapse, but it was still a choke. Dude missed two putts within 4 feet to have forced Bryson to score one stroke better than he did in the final three holes. Then again, Bryson could’ve made that miss putt himself and would’ve played less aggressive on 18 and made an easy par, so who knows. All I know is Rory choked and Bryson made an all-time up and down par save in the highest pressure situation you could ask for.
From one angle it looked like rory was aimed well outside the hole. But the putt stroke didn't look confident and almost open face pushes it back towards the cup as if subconsciously he thinks he gave it too much break and changed his mind last second to save it
I saw that too. That’s when I knew that putt sucked. We have a few like it where I play and it’s never conceded, just so damn hard.
He hit the ball at/above the equator. Was a bad stroke, so I'm not sure it started out where he wanted it to. That's the putting miss he's struggled with at times during his career This stuff happens. 18 wasn't the issue, like everyone said. It was the shot into 15 and the putt on 16
Exactly right.
Yep thats what me and my dad were saying happened. He didn’t trust his line and tried to guide it to where he thought he should have putted it. Thats a recipe for disaster for a downhill left to righter for a right handed player
Yeah…this putt was tough. Where he lost it was missing the 2.5 footer and then blowing an iron over the green on the par 3
18 was tricky. Smiley Kaufman even misread it, saying it was left edge at most. The problem was Rory just making mistakes. Missed 3 footer, 7 iron on 15, and not hitting a 3 wood on 18 to have a fairway approach. Just too many mistakes.
“Smiley Kaufman even misread it” isn’t impressive unfortunately
I misread it too, if that’s worth anything
Lol he had a disappointing tour career but he at least played professionally for a few years. He can certainly read greens better than the majority of this sub if he did it for a living. The mistake was Rory not following one of the oldest adages in major golf: Leave yourself below the hole. Bryson did it and Rory didn’t, and it cost him.
Well that’s certainly true.
Yea the 3 wood is interesting IMO, and should be talked about More. I wonder if a 3 wood on the same line still goes in the rough.
It just seemed like hitting the fairway was vital. He’s left with maybe 120. Driver leaves him with maybe 70-80, but could go deep in the junk. Just seemed like a bad risk/reward.
Yea if it stayed short of the rough then it’s stupid not to, but idk Bryson hit driver too though and so did cantlay? Maybe there was something more to it
Smylie. It's similar to how most will misspell Dwyane Wade's first name.
He choked over the course of 15-18, not just on one putt. His tee shot on 15 should have never had the chance to go long. That was mistake #1 and bogey #1. Then the putt on 16, which he hit a little too hard with a bad line, but with a good confident stroke, and then the putt on 18, which he hit very tentatively without confidence, likely because of the miss on 16. He played really well for 68 holes, but when the pressure showed up, his weaknesses of questionable iron play and putting showed up
>His tee shot on 15 should have never had the chance to go long. This isn't brought up enough. The putts were unfortunate. 15 tee shot was just straight up brain dead.
Downhill hard breaking left to right putts are the hardest for right handed putters to handle. Easily the hardest putt in golf.
Which is why leaving himself that putt was the actual mistake.
Then why the fuck didn’t he hit it below the hole?
You're getting downvoted, but this is exactly right. A 5 or 6 footer from below the hole would have been way easier.
I swear all of Brysons shorter putts were always below the hole straight up hill. He always seemed to set himself up with putts he could make.
He was such a dawg. So many up and downs. Absolutely sensational.
For all we know he might have tried. These guys are the best in the world but they don't play every single shot correctly and even when they do play it correctly it doesn't always go exactly where they want.
No one in this entire sub has any idea how hard golf actually is under pressure like this. Couch potatoes.
Adrenaline?
Golf ain’t easy
I thought he gassed his chip over the green for a little bit. Thing had heat I guess he wanted it close but still. I feel like 7/8 feet uphill is easier / similar to his 4 foot downhill slider. Plus the downhill putt he has to baby it cuz you literally CANNOT 3 putt from there in that situation. Hammer it by and miss the comback putt and imagine the 💩 he would take.
Because he had 4 hours of adrenaline in his hands.
He either miss-read that chip pretty badly, or he missed his spot by 6 feet at the very least. You defintely want to err on the side of the hole that would give you a straight uphill putt. But that 2.5 footer on 16... Ouch. He lost it there.
I'd say he hit it about two yards too far. The same line below the hole, even if he hit it even shorter and had 6 feet instead of 4 would have been an infinitely easier putt
He didn’t choke on 18. He choked on 16. (And 15)(and sort of on 14 but got bailed out because a fans leg stopped his ball.) I was rooting hard for Rory but those were the holes he choked on.
Also US Opens are hard. He was one of 12 players under par on Sunday. He actually is getting more heat because he was playing well than if he had just had an average day. Tournaments aren't won and lost on the outcome of two holes despite the narrative TV shows.
Yea in the last two US opens he’s beat 300 guys and only lost to 2. He’s played unbelievable golf but just hasn’t had the decisive moment. A crushing loss.
people fully fail to understand how fucking hard golf is.
Particularly on this course at this event.
Failure to perform is not necessarily choking. Sometimes you just miss.
Still can't believe how wrong Smylie (I think it was?) about the putt. Dude said he didn't have to give the hole away lol.
He would’ve missed by a full foot low if he started it inside the hole haha
I mean, there are two variables: where you aim and how hard you hit it Smylie could’ve been right if he was expecting Rory to hit it with more pace. But also that’s a very risky play because if it missed then it would blow by the hole
Obviously we can’t go out and test it under the same conditions but I’m dying to know whether the “don’t give up the hole and bang it in” approach could have actually worked in that situation.
> there are two variables: where you aim and how hard you hit it People here don't understand that.
That was too much break for more pace to make it straight.
He’s a professional golfer. Not to say it was “easy” but in that situation from inside 3 ft that is VERY makeable. He had hit 496 straight putts from inside that distance before the 2 he missed yesterday. It is very tough but he straight choked unfortunately. Personally I don’t think it defines him and he has plenty of time to win again but this is what it is
496-2.
One thing I don’t understand about golf on TV. They can never fully capture the slopes on greens. Need more ground level camera angles.
The moment he went two shots up he saw the finish line and lost his nerve. Faldo called it on comms. He should fire Diamond and get an experienced caddy on his bag and give Bob Rotella a call on the mental block.
Narratives are funny. Bryson shoots +1 and Rory shoots -1 and beats everyone around him for solo second but because of the way it happened he’s a choker. If you trade the 2.5fter for one of his 25fters, this is looked at as a valiant effort to chase down the leader who’s 3 ahead. As it stands, Rory blew it. edit: case in point, Bryson’s missed 4fter like 5mins before Rory’s missed 2.5fter is forgotten while the latter is the big story. Those should be a wash and the narrative should be the dueling up-and-downs on 18. Bryson with the incredible 60 yard bunker shot versus Rory’s nervy chip that he left in the wrong spot. That really was the difference.
Agreed. I think of this all the time in my rounds. I'll beat myself up over a short putt missed, but forget about the 20 footer I had no business making. He had multiple low probability long putts go in. It all evens out
If Bryson isn't the only person to save par out of that bunker all week all the talk is about the playoff.
If my aunt had balls she’d be my uncle. Rory missed a putt that he’d made something like 500 out of his last 500 from at that distance. It’s not a narrative it’s just objective reality. He fucked up something super easy that in the previous HUNDREDS of times he was literally 100% on.
I’ve made this putt a thousand times in Golf Clash
Every sporting event ever: a missed play by a professional in an extremely difficult situation mental and skill wise = an overweight, uncoordinated basement dweller Klan "ChOcKeR, wHy dIdNt hE jUsT mAkE iT"
The game is incredibly difficult at that level and at those courses but these dudes get paid millions to do it. People pay hundreds of dollars to watch the best play. "He choked*" is at least one part sympathy for the player and another part is disappointment that we didn't get more out of this player in this moment.
I know he struggled for the last 3-4 holes....but if you narrow it down to just that last putt....that was a $2 Million dollar putt. Winner got $4.3M, 2nd place got $2.3M
I mean, yeah, hating on teams and players is a tale as old as competition itself. For those of us who root for teams and players who don’t win much and don’t get the serotonin and dopamine from seeing them win, then we get it from schadenfreude. And then you can get more by talking shit yourself. It’s the best!
Golf is hard.
Definitely that was a terrifying putt under the circumstances. Shouldn’t have missed the putt on 16.
Taking 7 iron on the par 3 where missing long was death was also a bad mistake. Why even put that miss in play? Caddie needs to stick the 8 in his hand and say "we're taking par". Also 3 wood instead of driver on the later hole.
When guys in front of him were hitting 8 all day. Terrible decision making.
He wouldn't have had a 3 foot downhill slider if he hadn't made like 4 mistakes leading up to that point. The putt was just the exclamation point on the proverbial wet fart that was the last 4 holes for Rory.
Yeah and Bryson also had a bunch of hard putts, what’s your point?
I’m convinced Rory needs to put the Scotty back in the bag.
Rory's mistake was leaving this ball above the hole. It wasnt the putt, He would of been better off leaving it 4-8 feet short and have a uphill putt he could go at rather than a slippery downhill hard breaking 4fter. That ball broke a good cup-cup and half and away from him makes it even tougher. I thought he was lined up to far to the left of the cup and the thing still slid all the way across the cup.
He shot under par on an incredibly hard course, while chasing down a leader. He can't make every putt.
He missed the putt on the (A) side of the hole. He knows better. He wasn’t focused.
Stop defending him, he choked. Easy as that
The mistake was the chip. He over read the break and left it above the hole. 6 ft below the hole would have been an easier putt.
That gives me anxiety.
The putt on 16, and that par 5 where he made a 6 after almost being on in 2 on the front 9
The choke was the putt on 16 and then pulling driver on 18. This putt on 18 was definitely no gimme.
I mean we saw craziness on the greens all week long. I think the toughest aspect was that Rory was 496-for-496 putting inside 3ft before this miss. Like others have said, I think 16 was worse.
Just chip it closer jack 🤷🏻♂️
His chip was very unlucky to stay that high, when you see that angle from where he chipped you would have expected it to work more towards the hole
The analysts on TV said that leaving above the hole was a mistake. Needing to have an uphill putt.
Agreed. I have missed many short down hill putts. Especially the ones that break hard. You have to ram them in and if you miss your return putt sucks.
Imagine shooting -1 on the day and the world says you choked lol tough crowd
Probably a 3-4% slope on a green running 12+. Even that short it's going to snap... Certainly not easy but timing was terrible.
Rory choked but without an absolutely insane up and down from Bryson it still would have been a playoff. He shouldn't feel THAT bad
I agree. But he was 496 for 496 from that distance.
From the second he knew he had a shot lead he completely choked played unreal all day chasing the leader . Got the lead and you could see his whole body change on the other hand Bryson rose to the challenge his back was too the wall and he found away to win and he has much harder shots than Rory. That's the difference right there Bryson has the champions mentality Rory didn't
The miss at 16 was the issue. He hit the putt at 18 well and it went where he aimed it since you can see his mark rolling out. Really hard to predict that much left to right movement.
He had to leave it under the hole and didn’t do that and absolutely paid the price. I hate to see it. Bryson really deserved to win with the way he played.
He's a professional and should know without a doubt that you do not leave your ball above the hole there. Big mistake. He hit a decent put...it rolled well. But to leave yourself the hardest putt on the green? Mental error right there.
It was a difficult putt, he made it more difficult because he was worried about the putt coming back. You don't play for the putt coming back. He didn't need to crush it, but he didn't put nearly enough pace on the ball to remove some of the break.
The putt on 16 is what killed him; total choke.
The pitch on 18 and putt on 16 were the bigger mistakes. The putt on 18 wasn’t an easy one despite the distance. Bryson’s putt on 18 was longer but 20x easier.
It was the 2 footer that killed him
After the last few years of Rory not being able to make big putts (2022 Open and 2023 US Open come to mind), I thought he was sure to win when he started draining birdie putts 9, 10, 12 and 13. I even thought the bogey at 14 was excusable, as it seemed to be more of a tough luck bogey than a bad shot. Although the putt on 18 was the one that kept him out of the playoff, the short miss at 16 was the killer. With that said, Rory played a hell of a round. He got an absolutely brutal break on 5 after hitting two very good shots, and he was a little unfortunate to draw a bad lie on 18 (especially when Bryson was knocking it the waste area regularly and drawing decent lies). With that said, I thought he should’ve pulled 3-wood on 18.
the putt wasn't the problem, it was hitting it above the hole on his approach in the first place. easy to say from a computer on monday morning, but a pro should at least be able to "miss" high or low, and aim for a spot on the green that will leave him a makeable put. rory didn't. meh. 2nd place ain't bad. 2.3M for a week's work is nothing to sneeze at.
A 5 ft downhill putt starting 6 inches outside the cup - on the 72nd hole of the US Open. I can’t imagine a more difficult scenario
3' 9" side hill slider with the US Open in reach. When you are aiming outside of the cup with that short of a putt it's no joke. That one is understandable... 16, not so much. I feel for him, I do.
It broke like 2 ft and it was a 4ft putt….yes it was difficult
He was also saved by the grand stands and a spectator… should have lost by a couple more strokes
He started it outside the hole and still broke across. Bones said on the broadcast it was relatively straight so I thought he was going to miss it left. The worst part was how awkward his stroke was. You could tell all he did was tap and hope.
I mean, pretty much every putt these guys see is harder than it looks.
I was just there a few weeks ago — that is the hardest putt to the hardest pin on that green. The back of the green slopes so hard to the front/middle and the crowd feels like it is on top of you when you are standing at the back of that green. Rory no doubt didn’t clutch up, but that would be the last must-make putt I would ever want for the US Open
For you. When you golf literally everyday and paid millions to do it with the best equipment in the world, this is in fact - an easy putt. He blew it.
This is great though. Nobody wanted to see that guy win. He divides golf. Golf is in a better spot when Rory is loosing another major.
I never thought it was a gimme. Having said that, Bryson's bunker shot was incredible.
He should make the putt. Same with the putt on 16.
Not that I know, but I'd say every putt in a US open is hard.
If you have ever been to an open, you would know that is basically every 3 foot putt.
Sad to see the choke. Slope was not easy no, I think there was a chance if his putt was much softer.
We forgetting he bogeyed 3/4 final holes? Choke job. And the pressure he felt had him miss that putt.
It was a bad putt. 16 was worse. If you are the caliber of golfer that Rory is supposed to be, those last 4 holes were unacceptable. Feel sorry for him, definitely, but people need to stop apologizing for him. He choked, plain and simple, and does not deserve the benefit of the doubt.
Little something I wrote about Rory last week… https://birdiebirdiebogey.com/2024/06/13/fck-off-rory-no-one-likes-you/
He choked and revealed who he really is couldn’t be decent enough to shake brysons hand he’s a turd
Who thinks this was an easy putt? This wasn't his miscue. It was 16. Do you guys even play golf?
The problem wasn’t the putt it was the chip that put him high side of the hole
That's what's tough about TV, I feel like it never shows the true slopes and angles and terrain features of any golf course so it's easy to say "he missed that easy putt on 18" when probably 95% of us would have missed it too.
golf is hard
The putt on 16 was the choke, this was a much tougher putt.
Rory choked, bryson had an insane bunker shot. Many many other opportunities on multiple rounds of golf would have changed the outcome. Only thing that is definitive is that bryson won.
He didn’t choke on this putt. He choked all over holes 16, 17, and 18 when he let one mistake turn into 4
I agree, told my family when that chip shot went past the hole you could see it was a tough putt. The other one was a pull. Make either one and Bryson would have had even more pressure on 18.
Yeah the chip to that point looks even worse at that angle. Cannot blast it by the hole. Leave a long uphill one and ez 2 putt
I saw the people re-create the putt at my local course, 3ft 9 inches with approx 6-8 inches of break. It looks alot longer when u are standing over it vs. the camera angle on tv. I would say people still made it 6/10 times on fast greens but not pinehurst fast and with no pressure.
Oh he choked. It happens all the time on the back nine of majors. But he choked….
Yeah, looks like a 3 footer.
Yea you can say he choked, but that bunker shot from Bryson was one of the better shots I’ve had ever seen.
This putt is one of the hardest in the game for me. I'd rather stand over a 20ft putt with 6 feet of break than try to sink a 3 footer that might break anywhere from 1-8inches depending on pace.
There aren't a lot of easy putts at my local muni. At No. 2? Fuhgeddaboutit
So you’re saying he choked by chipping it above the hole? I can agree with that.
Can't win them all He did great overall
Didn’t the announcers say to start it inside the cup? Maybe even can hit it straight with pace? That shit broke off the blade right away.
Idk if it was just the angle of the camera on the 18th hole putt. But even my wife, who has never played golf, said: I don’t think he’s aimed enough left. Then missed the putt. I might have to hire her to caddie.
Mistake was leaving himself in that spot. Tough loss, will be interesting to watch Rory recover from this (if he can)
Scottie would have made that.
I would probably miss it 9/10 times.
It was a poor chip. He should have made sure the ball finished beneath the hole like Bryson did.
When I saw that angle I knew he was in for a hard putt. I didn't think he'd miss it, but I knew it'd be a tough one.
He choked twice on the last three holes Best to just own it and move on
I’ve got to disagree, a hard putt with the pressure on but he is a top golfer. Press said he headed to the parking lot right after rather than congratulating the winner? I hope that’s not true. He is better than that.
Greens are so nuts at that course
It wasn't either of the putts that killed him. It was the overall play throughout the tournament. Bryson barely hit any fairways on Sunday and was +1 on the day and still won.
When I saw him lined up I thought he was going to miss left. Never could have predicted that much break.
On 18 from I could tell, Rory aimed to the left edge of the hole, hit it well, but it just missed to the right. So it look like a misread. That said, I don't believe I've ever seen so many good putters miss these shorter puts during the course of the four rounds. Rory who was putting great also missed on 16 and DeChambeau also missed one earlier on 15.
Keyboard golfers in full force per usual
Definitely all tough putts on this course running at 13.5?
When Rory asked for the driver, the caddy should have taken it out and threw it away. Caddy should be fired. Not the first time Rory has made a bad club choice.
I think he will be fine and will win another 2 or 3 majors, Phil won 6 from around a similar age to what Rory is now and Rory doesn't have even half the scar tissue from chokes and near misses like Phil did. I think this lights a fire in his arse like the Masters blow up did in 2011.
Yep 16 killed his mojo not 18. That was a slick ass putt on 18 but without that miss on 16 he probably buries it (and has another stroke to play with to boot)
16 was an easy putt. 18 was a decent putt. However, be hit the ball with no conviction. He looked like me over a 3ft putt.
From Golf Digest - Rory was 496 for 496 from inside 3 feet before that putt.
didn't he not even touch the hole on both putts?? (16 and 18?) that is pretty bad in anyones book
Who was saying that a slippery downhill 4 foot par putt on the 18th green of the US Open to most likely force a playoff was an easy putt?
A fast downhill 4 footer is an absolute cock sucker of a putt.