Rory McIlroy Ducking The Media Was Pathetic And Eight Other Parting Thoughts From The U.S. Open At Pinehurst

The 2024 U.S. Open delivered in every way imaginable. From the opening round on Thursday to the championship coming down to the 72nd hole on Sunday, Pinehurst No. 2 met expectations, and we were gifted with a level of drama we haven't seen in quite some time.

With so much to look back on, let's dive right into the parting thoughts and put a bow on the year's third major championship.

Rory McIlroy Gave The U.S. Open Away

As soon as Bryson DeChambeau made what was an all-time par to win his second U.S. Open, the obvious question of did Rory McIlroy give away the U.S. Open or did DeChambeau earn it was immediately asked. 

McIlroy played his final four holes three-over par and missed not one, but two putts inside four feet. He was eight-under par standing on the 15th tee, yet DeChambeau went on to win the tournament at six-under. McIlroy didn't just give away the 2024 U.S. Open, he gift-wrapped it and practically wrote DeChambeau's name on it.

Yes, DeChambeau deserves all the credit in the world for getting up and down from the fairway bunker on 18 as that was one of the most-clutch shots in major championship history, but if McIlroy makes the two putts from gimme range he wins the tournament by multiple shots.

The 2024 U.S. Open will be remembered as ‘The One Rory Let Slip Away,’ and rightfully so.

Bryson DeChambeau The YouTube Golfer Isn't Going Anywhere

Even before he became one of the most well-known players to leave the PGA Tour for LIV Golf, DeChambeau was one of the most-disliked players in the sport. While most would have guessed he would have only acquired more haters after joining the Saudi-backed circuit, he's actually done the exact opposite, and has only gained fans every step of the way.

As crazy as it may seem, DeChambeau has YouTube to thank for that. He's leaned heavily into building a community on YouTube by presenting himself to young fans across the globe who already consume YouTube golf more than professional golf. He's been the first player to check both boxes in the arena having gone all-in on creating content on the free streaming service while also being a now two-time major winner who happens to hit the golf ball further than anyone else in professional golf.

DeChambeau still has his haters, but I'd be willing to bet the majority of those haters are over the age of 30 who, understandably so, don't go to YouTube to consume golf. 

The 30-year-old mentioned YouTube countless times during his numerous post-round press conferences on Sunday night. On SportsCenter, Scott Van Pelt asked DeChambeau what's next, and without hesitation, he said he had a YouTube video to film on Tuesday.

He has over 700,000 subscribers on YouTube with each video garnering even more views. He's reaching hundreds of thousands of young fans across the globe - quite literally growing the game - and also winning major championships along the way.

Rory Ducking The Media Was Pathetic

McIlroy leaving Pinehurst mere minutes after DeChambeau made his par to win the tournament and then jumping on his private jet back home before the sun was even set was a bad look.

While losing in that fashion may have been the hardest pill McIlroy has ever had to swallow in his career, he is still the most-popular figure in the sport not named Tiger Woods. Throughout his career, and especially since LIV Golf's inception, McIlroy has talked about how he and other players are in the entertainment business. Part of that entertainment includes bad losses and then speaking to the media about that bad loss.

Jean van de Velde spoke with the media after the worst collapse the sport has ever seen at the 1999 Open. Greg Norman spoke with reporters after his series of heartbreaks at the Masters. Phil Mickelson attended a press conference after his 2006 U.S. Open disaster at Winged Foot.

McIlroy taking time, even a full hour, to cool off for a bit - maybe even crack open a cold beverage - and speak to reporters in some form or fashion would have been well received by everyone. Instead, he bolted.

The media letting him off the hook, claiming that McIlroy wouldn't have offered up anything meaningful in a post-round press conference is equally as pathetic as him leaving the grounds as quickly as he did. He's a 35-year-old grown man, one of the best to ever do it, and owes it to everyone there to cover him something, anything, after the round. You can't preach about being an entertainer and doing everything for the fans and then pull that sort of move.

Nothing About Pinehurst No. 2 Looks Fun

Typically when watching a golf tournament, and especially so when watching a major championship, one of the immediate takeaways for myself and surely most other golfers out there is ‘man, I have got to go play that golf course.’

I didn't have that takeaway while watching Pinehurst No. 2. This isn't to say it isn't an exceptional U.S. Open venue, because it absolutely is, but I want no part of that golf course. It seems like it would be nothing more than five hours of watching your golf ball roll off of the green, missing fairways by a foot and staring double bogey in the face, and coming away thinking ‘why did I just spend all that money to do that.’

But hey, love ya, Pinehurst.

NBC Had Too Many Voices In The Booth

Sunday's final round was pure theater. We honestly didn't need anyone to call the golf and it would have been incredibly entertaining, but instead, we had far too many voices talking over one another time and time again throughout the broadcast.

Brandel Chamblee and Brad Faxon were great, as per usual. Both shared great, and honest insight when it was needed and did not shy away from calling out poor shots from every player in the hunt. It was clear Chamblee was growing a bit frustrated watching DeChambeau miss nine of 14 fairways and continue to get great lies, but that's how most were feeling at home tuning in.

Three voices are plenty. A Mike Tirico, Chamblee, Faxon trio with on-course reporting from Bones and Smylie Kaufman would have been just fine. This isn't a shot at Dan Hicks, but four quickly became a crowd in the booth.

Less is more, especially in drama-filled major championships, and NBC couldn't get out of its way on Sunday afternoon.

Bryson's Par On 8 Was ‘The Moment’

The bunker shot on 18 will understandably be remembered as ‘the shot’ of the 2024 U.S. Open, but Bryson DeChambeau's up and down on the Par 4 8th hole is worth remembering as well.

After finding the trees way right off of the tee, DeChambeau was forced to hit a banana slice through a tiny gap in the pines. He managed to do so despite never working the ball left to right, leaving him with an awkward 30-yard, short-sided pitch shot from beyond the green.

This felt like the moment the wheels could come off. Maybe he catches his pitch a hair fat or thin and double bogey comes into play. Instead, he knocks the touchy pitch to 11-feet and drains the par putt. His celebration afterward, with 10 holes left to play, tells the story of just how epic the par save was.

Rory McIlroy Will Bounce Back

If the golf world as a whole loves anything, it's recency bias and overreaction. Plenty have been quick to say ‘Rory McIlroy will never bounce back from losing this tournament’ and ‘there is no way he ever wins another major championship’ but let's all take a moment and pause.

The loss at Pinehurst will have seriously damaged McIlroy's psyche, after all, he is a human.  But let's not forget that he's still a Top 5 player in the world with at least another five years of prime golf left in front of him.

McIlroy has finished 8th or better in eight of the last 11 major championships including three solo seconds. He's too good, and cares way too much, to keep the trend of moving in the right direction and missing two short putts from derailing the remainder of his career.

Patrick Cantlay Deserves A Shoutout

Patrick Cantlay didn't have the stuff to get the job done on Sunday, but just being there down the stretch is well worth a mention. Having only really been in legitimate contention in a major championship once - the 2019 Masters - Cantlay putting together four rounds and staying in the hunt until the 72nd hole is a major step for the American.

Cantlay hit 11 of 14 fairways and 13 of 18 greens during Sunday's final round en route to a T-3 finish, his best in a major since finishing T-3 at the 2019 PGA Championship.

Can We PLEASE Figure Out The PGA Tour - Saudi PIF Distraction

The ongoing negotiations between the PGA Tour and Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) have become far less distracting throughout the 2024 campaign, but the fact that they're still a talking point is frustrating as all they have accomplished is taking away from the sport.

Every fan and player is done with it, yet the most powerful people in the sport continue to drag their feet.

DeChambeau made it clear during his post-round press conference that something has got to give, sooner rather than later.

"If I'm to be quite frank, I hope we can figure things out quickly. I hope this can bridge the gap between a divided game," DeChambeau said. "All I want to do is entertain and do my best for the game of golf, execute and provide some awesome entertainment for the fans. From at least what I can tell, that's what the fans want, and they deserve that."
 

That's a wrap on the U.S. Open. We're sadly three-quarters of the way done with major season in 2024, but now we have early morning golf at Royal Troon to look forward to next month at The Open.