Rory McIlroy breaks US Open meltdown silence as he insists next major win is 'closer than ever'

Rory McIlroy has shared his US Open regrets after a collapse on the home straight saw Bryson DeChambeau beat him to the title.

The Northern Irishman had come from three strikes back to establish a two-shot lead with five holes to play at Pinehurst. But he missed seemingly simple par putts on the 16th and 18th to surrender his advantage and DeChambeau punished him with the shot of his life to set up the winning putt.

McIlroy has been criticised in the aftermath for leaving the North Carolina course without congratulating the American, stringing from seeing his chance slip through his fingers. But McIlroy has since issued a statement warmly congratulating DeChambeau on his win and his general impact on the sport. McIlroy also insists he feels as close to winning his next major - it's been a decade since he's claimed one - despite his agonising final day collapse.

McIlroy posted: Yesterday was a tough day. Probably the toughest I;ve had in my 17 years as a professional golfer. Firstly, I'd like to congratulate Bryson. He is a worthy champion and exactly what professional golf needs right now. I think we can all agree on that.

"As I reflect on my week, I'll rue a few things over the course of my tournament, mostly the two missed putts on 16 and 18 on the final day. But as I always try to do, I'll look at the positives of the week that far outweigh the negatives.

"As I said at the start of the tournament, I feel closer to winning my next major championship than I ever have. The one word I would use to describe my career is resilient. I've shown my resilience over the last 17 years of my career and I will again.

"I'm going to take a few weeks away from the game and process everything and build myself up for the defence of my