Rory McIlroy’s nine-year wait for a fifth major win goes on after he was beaten by one shot by American Wyndham Clark at the US Open in Los Angeles.
Clark, 29, carded a level-par 70 to claim his first major on 10 under par and the $3.6m (£2.8m) winner’s cheque.
“US Opens are tough. I felt at ease though and kept saying to myself, ‘I can do this, I can do this’,” he said.
McIlroy looked shattered after another close call in a major but said: “I’m right there, it’s such fine margins.”
Underdog Clark’s triumph, a fine storyline in Hollywood, means it is now 3,234 days since his last major triumph at the US PGA Championship at Valhalla in 2014.
And whether at Southern Hills, Torrey Pines, the Augusta National, St Andrews or now on Los Angeles Country Club’s ultra-exclusive north course, a theme has continued of the Northern Irishman just falling short – he now has 19 top-10 finishes in majors.
Speaking on Sky Sports, he added: “I have just got to keep putting myself in these positions. Sooner or later it’s going to happen for me.
“There are a couple of things I will rue. The chip on 14 being one. It was really hard to get the ball close but I hung in there and just didn’t quite get the job done.
“I will keep coming back until I get another one.”
The world number three, who has essentially won everything else there is to win in golf is sure to place this week high on his list of missed opportunities.
However, like in his final reckoning of the 150th Open Championship last summer it was tough to find too much fault with performance.
The best of the rest
World number one Scottie Scheffler was third, two shots further adrift.
Joint overnight leader Rickie Fowler slipped to a disappointing five-over 75 as he finished in a tie for fifth.
Fowler’s bogey at the 18th was one of seven overall as he fell away to end up a shot behind reigning Open champion Cameron Smith, who made three birdies on the back nine during a late charge.
Australia’s Min Woo Lee and Tommy Fleetwood also ended the championship on five under, with the Englishman making eagles on the sixth and 14th holes as he delivered the lowest round of the day with a seven-under 63.
It saw the 32-year-old, who also made four birdies, create history as he became the first player to shoot 63 twice at the US Open and the fourth player after Greg Norman, Vijay Singh and Brooks Koepka to post multiple 63s in major championships.
More to follow.
