Nick Faldo believes Rory McIlroy will be haunted forever by letting the US Open slip through his fingers at Pinehurst.
Four birdies in the space of five holes from the ninth had given McIlroy a two-shot lead in pursuit of a fifth major title and first since 2014, only for the world number three to bogey three of the last four holes.
That devastating run included missed par putts of two feet, six inches and three feet, nine inches on the 16th and 18th respectively and allowed Bryson DeChambeau to claim his second US Open title with a brilliant par save from sand on the last.
Commentating for Sky Sports, six-time major winner Faldo said: "That's going to haunt Rory for the rest of his life, those two misses."
McIlroy did not speak to the media after his devastating loss and DeChambeau expressed sympathy for his beaten rival.
"For him to miss that putt (on 18), I would never wish that on anybody," DeChambeau said after a final round of 71 left him six under par, a shot ahead of McIlroy and two clear of Patrick Cantlay and Tony Finau.
"I think that fire in him is only going to continue to grow. He's going to win more major championships.
"I have nothing but respect for how he plays the game of golf because, to be honest, when he was climbing up the leaderboard, he was two ahead, I was like, Uh-oh, uh-oh. But luckily things went my way."
The scene of McIlroy leaving Pinehurst was in stark contrast to last month's PGA Championship where runner-up DeChambeau went back to the 18th green to congratulate Xander Schauffele after a closing birdie sealed his win.
"At the end of the day we are all human," said Frenchman Matthieu Pavon, who finished fifth, three shots back of DeChambeau. "Rory has been chasing another major since many years. He is one of the best players in the world, a true champion. It shows you how tough it is.
"The more you want it, the tougher it gets, and the highest expectation you have for yourself, the tougher it gets, the more pressure you got into.
"Maybe this is a little bit of pressure that got him today for sure, but Rory is just a massive champion. I'm sure he will fight back and really soon."
McIlroy's next shot at winning his first major title since the PGA Championship in August 2014 will be next month at the Open.
It took McIlroy less than an hour to get from signing his card after the final gut-wrenching round of the US Open to being in mid-air on his plane home.
How long it will take him to get over the heart-breaking events at Pinehurst, if he ever can, remains to be seen.
In 20 previous top-10 finishes in major championships since his last victory in the 2014 US PGA, McIlroy has never had the title within his grasp with just a handful of holes to play in the manner that he did on Sunday.
According to tracking site radaratlas2, McIlroy’s private plane was in the air 53 minutes after DeChambeau’s brilliant par save on the 18th secured his second US Open title.
McIlroy is the first player to finish in the top 10 at six consecutive US Opens since Jack Nicklaus from 1977-82 and the first to do so without winning any of them since Jack Hobens from 1905-10.
"Nobody’s had more pressure on him over the last 10 years," McIlroy’s putting coach Brad Faxon said on Golf Channel.
"Everybody in the world knows he hasn’t won a major since 2014. I think it’s the way this happened; the short missed putts there on 16, certainly on 18. I don’t know how you get through this thing. It’s really tough."
Former Ryder Cup captain Paul McGinley added: "That element of doubt came in.
"He started backing away, which he never does. He took a little more time over the putts, which he never does. That’s pressure and he succumbed to it.
"(It’s) a devastating loss for any player, not just Rory. It’s absolutely devastating. Rory has faltered coming down the stretch."
After leaving Pinehurst without speaking to the media, McIlroy is currently scheduled to give a press conference on Wednesday ahead of the Travelers Championship.
It could make for painful viewing.
