Rory McIlroy SLAMMED by ESPN golf analyst after he abruptly left the US Open following fourth-round meltdown at Pinehurst

ESPN SportsCenter's Scott Van Pelt has laid into Rory McIlroy for his early exit from the US Open, backing what many have called a 'classless' move on behalf from the five-time major winner.

On Sunday, when discussing McIlroy's second-place finish to Bryson DeChambeau, in which the Northern Irishman bogeyed three of the last four holes in the final round at Pinehurst No. 2, Van Pelt didn't shy away from criticizing McIlroy's sudden retreat from the North Carolina course, as his majors' drought extended to 10 years.

'Now, Rory is one of my very favorite people in the sport for a lot of different reasons. One, he's a thinker and he answers things thoughtfully. He's also a great champion. And today, understandably, a bitter pill, a chance to end this major list drought, and it slips away as it did,' Van Pelt said on 'The Mothership.'

McIlroy missed two costly short putts on holes No. 16 and 18 that essentially ruled him from emerging as the tournament's top dog. 

Van Pelt then mentioned calamitous losses experienced by Phil Mickelson and Greg Norman in previous years, the 2006 U.S. Open at Winged Foot and the 1996 Masters, respectively, when both surrendered bigger leads than McIlroy but spoke afterward.

'I think about this, Phil Mickelson, the [2006] US Open, hit off a beer tent on the 72nd hole at Winged Foot to lose with a double and he said afterward, ''I'm such an idiot.'' Greg Norman melted down over the course of five brutal hours in '96, as his seemingly insurmountable lead evaporated,' Van Pelt said, referencing Norman's six-stroke lead over Nick Faldo, 28 years ago, only to finish second. 

'When it mercifully ended, [Norman] stood there under the Magnolia trees in the darkness, and he answered the questions about what happened. I'm certain he would have preferred that the Earth open up and swallow him whole, but he stood there and he took it...

'Rory did not and you just have to.'

Van Pelt then stated that McIlroy's finish and early exit will long stay in the memories of golf fans for future editions of the tournament to come.

'How it got away on this Sunday and the fact that he walked away without speaking about it will both be remembered,' Van Pelt finally said. 

McIlroy, who ended up with a 1-under par 69 on Sunday for a total of 5-under over the weekend, walked a straight line to his car without responding to reporters after watching DeChambeau sink his putt on the 18th from a TV in the clubhouse. 

He left the course six minutes after the major-sealing putt, according to The Raleigh News & Observer. 

McIlroy last won a major at the 2014 PGA Championship. Meanwhile, Dechambeau, won the US Open for a second time after shooting 6-under par.