Rory McIlroy (-5) turned a three-stroke deficit into a two-stroke lead on Sunday, then bogeyed three of his final four holes — including two missed two putts inside of four feet — to fall one stroke short of Bryson DeChambeau (-6) at the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

Sunday marked Day 3,568 since McIlroy's last major title.

McIlroy — coming off three solid rounds of golf, including a sterling opening-round 65 — began the day tied at 4-under with Matthieu Pavon and Patrick Cantlay, three back of DeChambeau (-7). It didn't take long for momentum to swing in his favor.

McIlroy succumbed to the turtleback greens on No. 5 (bogey), but soon recovered with a sizzling stretch around the turn. Beginning on the par-3 ninth, the 26-time PGA Tour champion birdied four of his next five holes, including two more putts outside of 20 feet.

For the round, McIlroy gained over two cumulative strokes on the field on the green. In actuality, though, his putter gave two strokes directly back to DeChambeau, at the worst possible time.

On the par-4 16th — seven minutes after the LIV Golf League star registered his first three-putt of the tournament — McIlroy nervily pushed a 30-incher for par that would've preserved his two-shot advantage. Instead, he provided a glimmer of mojo to the teetering DeChambeau. It was McIlroy's first miss inside of three feet of the PGA Tour season.

“Ultimately on 13, I knew I had to make birdie there to give myself a chance because Rory was going on a heater, and he slipped up a couple on the way coming in, and I just kept staying the course, focused on trying to hit as many fairways as I could, even though I didn't. I was not great today with that,” DeChambeau said.

After successfully scrambling on No. 17, McIlroy's final drive of the week tucked behind Pinehurst wiregrass. The no. 2 player in the world was able to awkwardly scoot his ball up toward the green, then comfortably chip to 45 inches of the cup. A layup to all-but guarantee a spot in a playoff.

Before his third shot, McIlroy had witnessed DeChambeau send his drive on No. 18 under a tree in the native areas, nestled by a root.

And then, this happened:

“Rory is one of the best to ever play,” said DeChambeau. “Being able to fight against a great like that is pretty special. For him to miss that putt, I'd never wish it on anybody. It just happened to play out that way.”

McIlroy declined to speak to the media afterward.

McIlroy has now competed in 38 majors since winning his fourth, at the 2014 PGA Championship. In that time, he has 19 top-10s and 13 top-5s. He's finished 10th or better in seven straight U.S. Opens. In 2024, he has two PGA Tour wins, a T22 at the Masters, T12 at the PGA, and, now, the hardest-to-stomach runner-up imaginable.

McIlroy carded 65, 72, 69, and 69 at Pinehurst. He maneuvered around the North Carolina sandhills with strategy and confidence. He was in his bag with his putter, irons, and driver. Out of the 156-person field, McIlroy finished first in strokes gained: off the tee, 30th in approach, sixth in sg: short game, third in fairways hit, and fourth in greens in regulation. He ranked eighth in putting.

And yet, the Northern Irishman could only watch helplessly from the clubhouse as a part-time face-of-LIV Golf and full-time YouTube sensation Bryson DeChambeau — amid “U.S.A.! U.S.A.!” chants — executed a pristine 55-yard bunker shot, then made his 3-foot layup to win his second U.S. Open of the decade.

It was all very electrifying, cruel, and relatable. Such is golf. Such is life.