Rory McIlroy’s brutal unravelling over the final four holes at Pinehurst on Sunday evoked memories of some of golf’s most famous meltdowns.
There have been bigger leads blown down the years, and worse shots played, but the context here was what made it so horrific; the journey McIlroy has been on, the 10-year wait for that fifth major, the enormous weight on the Northern Irishman’s shoulders every time he gets himself into contention, the knowledge of what this might do to his mental health. In the end, it has to be in the conversation as one of golf’s most painful denouements.
Telegraph Sport assesses where his collapse ranks among the most famous in golf history.
11. Rory McIlroy, 2011 Masters
McIlroy’s most famous meltdown, until Sunday at least, came before he was even a major winner. Then a baby-faced 21-year-old, McIlroy established a brilliant four-shot lead heading into the final day at Augusta only for his day to turn into a nightmare. By the turn, McIlroy’s lead was down to one, and when he skewed a drive into the trees on 10, close to some members’ cabins, it was all over. McIlroy dropped six shots over the next three holes to finish the day tied for 15th. He still hasn’t won at Augusta.
10. Arnold Palmer, 1966 US Open
One of the biggest ever leads blown, and by one of the all-time greats. McIlroy is in good company when even Arnie wasn’t immune to the odd meltdown. Palmer blew a seven-shot lead at the Olympic Club’s Lake Course, allowing Billy Casper to force an 18-hole play-off, which Palmer lost when he dropped another four shots across a three-hole stretch.
9. Phil Mickelson, 2006 US Open
The only major still to elude Mickelson, who finished runner-up a record six times. The closest he came to getting over the line came at Winged Foot in 2006 when he only needed a par at the final hole to win a third consecutive major. Mickelson hit a hospitality tent and a tree en route to carding a double bogey which handed victory to Australian Geoff Ogilvy. “I just can’t believe I did that. I’m such an idiot,” Mickelson said.
8. Adam Scott – 2012 Open Championship
Oh, Adam Scott and his belly putter went on a terrible journey together on the final four holes of the 2012 Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes. Up four shots, Scott bogeyed the final four holes and brought Jean Van de Velde back to 1999. Ernie Els proved the beneficiary this time.
7. Jason Dufner – 2011 PGA Championship
Jason Dufner started choking away a five-stroke lead by hitting his 15th tee-shot into the water at the Atlanta Athletic Club. He ended it with three bogeys and a playoff loss to Keegan Bradley.
6. Ed Sneed – 1979 Masters
Ed Sneed continues the trend of late-round leads vanishing into thin air (look, it’s the worst collapses in majors history, what do you expect?). Sneed blew a three-shot lead on his final three holes, ultimately conceding victory in a sudden-death playoff to the excellently named, Fuzzy Zoeller.
5. Dustin Johnson – 2010 US Open
Sadly for ‘DJ’, you could enter two US Open collapses into this list, but it’s the initial meltdown that allowed Graeme McDowell to take the spoils that makes the top 11. He shot an abhorrent 11-over in the final round at Pebble Beach, including a triple-bogey and double-bogey on consecutive holes.
4. Sam Snead – 1947 US Open
Snead is the lone member of this list to not implode in his final round, but in the ensuing playoff. After birdieing 18 with ice in his veins, he forced that playoff. Snead first blew a two-shot lead, before missing a two-foot putt on 18 at the St Louis Country Club to allow Lew Worsham claim victory.
3. Rory McIlroy – 2024 US Open
Probably some recency bias, and not strictly a collapse in the sense that he still managed to beat DeChambeau’s score on the final day, posting a 69 to the American’s 71. But the magnitude of McIlroy’s collapse as soon as he found himself in the lead – having chased the rest of the weekend – makes it one of the worst chokes ever seen. For a player as talented as McIlroy, who had played as well as he had done across the first three-and-a-half days, to finish so dismally will haunt him for decades. That DeChambeau was able to overturn a two-shot deficit, despite playing his final five holes in one-over-par, says all you need to know about McIlroy’s meltdown.
2. Greg Norman – 1996 Masters
Greg Norman blew a six-shot lead by the 11th hole in the final round of the Masters. In all, Norman had five bogeys and two double-bogeys to finish his day at 78, giving Sir Nick Faldo his third and final Green Jacket. It was a bad time. Later, Norman would say that he was trying to fix his swing, and managed to psyche himself out in the process.
1. Jean Van de Velde – 1999 Open Championship
Perhaps the most iconic collapse in golf history, Jean van de Velde entered the final hole of the 1999 Open with a three-shot lead having led the way since the second round. He triple-bogeyed the hole after finding the water of the Barry Burn and infamously wading in as he considered playing out of it, before taking his medicine with a drop, and ultimately lost the Open in a playoff against Justin Leonard and eventual champion Paul Lawrie, but the collapse has etched its name in golf folklore with many since referring to ‘pulling a Van de Velde’.
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