COMMENT: Lack of green gains crucial as Rory McIlroy's US Open bid falls short

Sunday’s latest instalment would yet again see the Northern Irishman get into contention at a major only to fall short as he lost out on the US Open at LA Country Club by one stroke to winner Wyndham Clark.

It was like a sequel to last year's Open as McIlroy was edged out by Cameron Smith at St Andrews.

There is certainly nothing wrong with McIlroy's driving - as evidenced throughout the four rounds in California; nor his approach to the green as he made 59 greens in regulation - the most by a player in US Open history who didn't go on to lift the trophy.

There is a saying in golf: "Drive for show, putt for dough". And that was the part of the game that let McIlroy down.

Over the weekend, the Holywood man failed to make any meaningful gains on the green and that would prove to be the difference this time around.

A tally of 16 pars, 1 birdie and 1 bogey on the final day was never going to cut it as Clark held his nerve under extraordinary circumstances to lift his first ever major.

“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 told reporters in the aftermath of Sunday’s drama. “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.”

It was telling that he added: “There was just a couple of shots, two or three shots over the course of the round that I’d like to have back.”

Since McIlroy lifted glory in 2014, he has gone 33 major events without winning - however, there have been some near misses and it shows how good he is that he repeatedly puts himself into contention to triumph.

In that time, he has had 19 top-10 finishes and 10 top-five finishes - so surely success has to be on the way?

McIlroy reflected on the wait in the middle of his US Open bid and said “no-one wants me to win another major more than I do”.

“The desire is obviously there,” he said. “I’ve been trying and I’ve come close over the past nine years...whether I get rewarded or punched in the gut I’ll always keep coming back.”

However, McIlroy will be the first to admit that the abundance of world-class talent on the course means that the task of lifting the sport's biggest prizes is now becoming even more difficult.

Clark was the 18th different player to win a major since McIlroy's last success in 2014, with names like Jon Rahm, Scottie Scheffler, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson, Collin Morikawa and Jordan Spieth never too far away.

McIlroy's wait continues but he has fond memories of Royal Liverpool, where he won the Claret Jug in 2014, ahead of next month's Open at Hoylake.

Can his nine-year wait end on Merseyside?