Rory McIlroy ended a frustrating week at the US Open by carding a final round of 73 to finish the tournament six-over-par, with former professional Paul McGinley insisting the Northern Irishman was simply punished for his “mistakes” across the four days.

In the need of a fast start, McIlroy’s hopes of salvaging something from a disappointing US Open evaporated over the space of his first five holes on Sunday after three bogeys had him heading in the wrong direction.

The reigning Masters champion played himself out of the tournament after a back nine of 40 on Saturday, leaving him three over going into the final round.

Despite the best scoring conditions of the week on Sunday, the world number two, who has not won a US Open since making his major breakthrough in 2011, failed to make any inroads.

placeholder image — Rory McIlroy watches his tee shot on the ninth hole during the final round of the U.S. Open golf tournament at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, N.Y

His drive off the par-four first finished pin-high but off to the right and he chipped across and through the green to squander any chance of a birdie.

Further poor chips resulted in more dropped shots at the second and third and the familiar sight this week of him going over the back of the green at the par-five fifth resulted in another bogey.

His fourth bogey came at the ninth and, with five pars also on his card, he turned in 39 at seven over.

However, he started his back nine with back-to-back birdies at the tenth and eleventh to restore some hope of a positive finish.

Despite giving a stroke back on fourteen, McIlroy carded a birdied three at the par-four fifteenth, but McIlroy’s inconsistency at Shinnecock Hills saw him bogey the seventeenth as he finished six-over-par.

When asked to sum-up his week’s work, Sky Sports pundit Paul McGinley said: "It has been a seesaw week for McIlroy. One step forward and two steps back has been the order of play for him all week long.

"As he has made a few birdies, he has followed it with mistakes."

Those comments were echoed by former professional David Howell who believes McIlroy paid the penalty with his wedges.

He stated of McIlroy’s performance: "Certainly out of sorts and frustrated with his efforts this week.

"There have been moments of good but just way, way too many mistakes - mainly with the wedges."

McIlroy’s frustrations boiled over in the final round when he was picked up by the Sky Sports cameras saying “Oh just go home, Rory”, before expletive language was then beeped out as he hit a poor approach shot at the third hole.