Former Ryder Cup player Andrew Coltart reflects on how Rory McIlroy bounced back from a big loss at the U.S. Open and Bryson DeChambeau's dramatic win at Pinehurst No. 2…
This one is going to be tough for McIlroy. He played 67 holes and looked the most confident I’ve seen him in the last 10 years since he won those two majors in 2014. He looked confident, doing all the right things, and it looked like he was finally going to get out of this mess.
The drama at the end was sickening for all of McIlroy's fans, friends, family and Rory himself. It will be a huge, huge blow to him because he seemed to have the upper hand and within 40 minutes his dream was destroyed.
He once publicly stated that the longer he waited for the Grand Slam, the harder it was to wait, and he began to feel like he was when he won the Grand Slam for the first time. When he was young, he was impeccable and everything went smoothly in his career. Now for him, the age and stage are different.
For someone of his level and ability to admit that shows how nervous he was going into the final nine holes. No one wants to see anyone lose in that way.
Wayne Riley was right when he questioned himself on commentary why he hit driver on his final tee shot. It was his most important shot of the week and could change his career, but he had to find the fairway.
He only had 13 bogeys on that hole that day, so it wasn't the toughest hole if he could hit the fairway. For some reason he wanted to use a driver, apparently feeling that gave him the best chance, and the rest is history.
How McIlroy copes with major heartbreak
I don't think we can criticize people for not speaking to the media after a round like that. The emotions he went through, the level of disappointment after losing it like that, was off the charts.
At the time, it was difficult for him to reflect calmly or answer reasonable questions from the world media. He felt extremely sick about what he had just done.
I think he's going to be upset for quite some time. Obviously, what's going on off the field doesn't help, and he has talked about distractions off the field that will take a while to get over.
He qualified for the Travelers Championship this week, so he has to bounce back. It's the final signature event of the season, and he'll win there, which is probably a good thing, but it's not the big event. He can lead by five points, but it doesn't make this one any less painful.
The longer it takes, the harder this major will be. Yes, Royal Troon is just around the corner, but the pressure of trying for a fifth major and breaking out of a decade-long slump seems too much for McIlroy right now.
DeChambeau accepts entertainer role
The bunker shot on 18 was outstanding, one of the best shots you'll ever make in your lifetime to win a major. There were a lot of things that could go wrong, not to mention the pressure he was under.
I enjoyed watching Bryson celebrate and react so passionately all week. A lot of players were calm and not too excited, but DeChambeau was so excited all week and has been in the last three majors.
He really is starting to have an incredible following and support from people. He's really embraced the role of the entertainer – he seems a lot more mature now, with a much more mature head on young shoulders.
He played incredible golf on a very dangerous golf course and ended up hitting more of the right shots and sinking the right putts in the clutch moments. I really enjoyed everything he offered this week and he’s a great champion.
American players seem to have a monopoly on the majors, and this trend may continue at the Royal Troon Open. No doubt, this victory will give DeChambeau enough confidence that he can go for the second stop of his career Grand Slam there.
It’s a safe bet that DeChambeau has more treasures hidden in his locker.
Watch Rory McIlroy live on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour this season on Sky Sports. The 152nd Open at Royal Troon will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf from July 18-21. Watch the PGA Tour, Majors and more with NOW.