The wait continues for Rory McIlroy's dreams of ending his drought for a major title. He came awfully close again to winning his first major title in nearly nine years at the recently concluded 2023 US Open, finishing second to Wyndham Clark when it was all said and done at the Los Angeles Country Club.

McIlroy had plenty of chances to catch up to Clark in the fourth and final round of the tournament Sunday, but he just couldn't get a strong run together.

After ending the US Open with a score of 9-under 271, Rory McIlroy shed some light on what he believes was the reason for his inability to overtake Clark.

“I think the putter, I'll rue some of the chances that I missed,” McIlroy said, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). “It was hard to get the ball really close all day. It was that and that wedge shot on 14, coming up a little short, those are the things I'll rue today.”

The Northern Irishman must be feeling haunted by the fact that he only had a total of one birdie in the fourth round. Clark had four bogeys in the same round but also had four birdies to counter them. Rory McIlroy had a birdie on the first hole of the final 18 but only had a par in 16 of the next 17.

Scottie Scheffler came in third with a 7-under 273 while Cameron Smith finished fourth with 6-under-274. Rickie Fowler who set a new major record with a 62 in the first round ended up with a score of 5-under 275, tied with Min Woo Lee and Tommy Fleetwood for fifth.

Rory McIlroy's last major win was back in 2014 when he topped the field in that year's PGA Championship. Since then, he's failed to win 33 consecutive major tournaments.

So far in the 2022-23 PGA TOUR season, McIlroy has gone 10-for-12 with seven top 10s and seven top 25s. He has two runner-ups to date and a win (2022 THE CJ CUP in South Carolina).

Still just 34 years old and clearly still at the top of his game, Rory McIlroy will see plenty more chances in the future to end his drought in the majors.