Rory McIlroy defended over humiliating missed putt in US Open collapse by Jon Rahm, who says NBC 'severely underplayed' difficulty of shot

Rory McIlroy's missed putt on the 18th hole of the US Open was viewed as a shocking mistake by golf fans and media alike, but Jon Rahm has come to the Northern Irishman's defense after he choked away a potential fifth major win.

McIlroy led by two strokes with just five holes left at Pinehurst, but bogeyed on three occasions as he missed two putts from a combined distance of seven feet.

And while the 35-year-old's second miss allowed Bryson DeChambeau to pass him and win the tournament, Rahm believes that NBC 'severely underplayed' how hard the shot was.

'One of the things that absolutely burned me, and I think it was [NBC's] Smylie [Kaufman] who said it, he severely underplayed how difficult Rory's putt on 18 was,' Rahm told Sports Illustrated.

'When he said it's a left-center putt, if you hit that putt left-center and miss the hole, you're off the green because of how much slope there is. You could see Rory aiming at least a cup left from three feet. They severely underplayed how difficult that putt was. Severely.'

Rahm himself did not play in the tournament due to a foot infection.

McIlroy came agonizingly close to winning his first major in 10 years but ultimately collapsed and revealed afterwards that he'd be taking a few weeks off from golf

'Yesterday was a tough day, probably the toughest I've had in my nearly 17 years as a professional golfer,' he said on X.

'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 the tournament, mostly the 2 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.

He added, 'I'm going to take a few weeks away from the game to process everything and build myself back up for my defense of the Genesis Scottish Open and The Open at Royal Troon.'

The Scottish Open is held on July 11, meaning McIlroy has nearly a month until his next competition.

McIlroy's time away from golf comes amid a turbulent time in his personal life as well, as he recently filed for divorce from his wife Erica Stoll - before reversing his decision right before the US Open.  

'Over the past weeks, Erica and I have realized that our best future was as a family together,' he said. 

'Thankfully, we have resolved our differences and look forward to a new beginning.'