Next major title worth '100 Sundays like this' insists McIlroy after US Open disappointment

Rory McIlroy insisted he would endure the pain of another 100 near-misses as long as he finally ends his major championship drought.

McIlroy held a share of the lead when he two-putted the par-five opening hole of Sunday’s final round of the 123rd US Open, but that would prove his only birdie of a disappointing closing 70.

Wyndham Clark’s own 70 was enough to give the 29-year-old American his first major title at Los Angeles Country Club, while McIlroy has now recorded 19 top-10 finishes since winning his fourth in the 2014 US PGA.

Asked if it was exhausting to keep being asked about another missed opportunity, McIlroy said: “It is, but at the same time when I do finally win this next major it’s going to be really, really sweet.

“I would go through 100 Sundays like this to get my hands on another major championship.”

McIlroy conceded his underwhelming final round had echoes of last year’s Open Championship, when he held a share of the lead, carded two birdies in a closing 70 and was overhauled by Cameron Smith’s brilliant 64.

“The last real two chances I’ve had at majors I feel like have been pretty similar performances, like St Andrews last year and then here,” the world number three added.

“Not doing a lot wrong, but I didn’t make a birdie since the first hole today. Overall when you’re in contention going into the final round of a US Open, I played the way I wanted to play.

Rory McIlroy joins the leaders with an opening two-putt birdie.