OAKMONT, Pa. – The golf world watched in anticipation as Rory McIlroy got off to a thrilling start at the U.S. Open, only to witness a dramatic unraveling that left fans stunned.

After a promising beginning, where he was momentarily tied for the lead, McIlroy ended his first round with a disappointing 4-over 74, trailing a staggering eight shots behind the early frontrunner.

Coming off a lackluster performance in Canada, McIlroy appeared reinvigorated early on at Oakmont, birdying two of his first three holes. This seemed like the spark he desperately needed to shake a post-major slump, as he attempted to regain the form that propelled him to complete his career Grand Slam at the Masters.

With his driver seemingly back in form, he unleashed an impressive 392-yard drive on the 12th hole, signaling his intent to make a comeback.

However, as the round progressed, the tide turned. Mistakes began to pile up, particularly on the challenging greens. He struggled with a three-putt on the first hole from 37 feet and faced an uphill battle on the fourth, where a wayward drive into the native area forced him to take two attempts to get back into play, ultimately salvaging only a bogey with a lengthy putt.

Further missed opportunities haunted him on the sixth and seventh holes as he failed to sink par-saving putts from five and six feet, respectively. The crowning disaster came at the daunting eighth hole, where a poor tee shot led to a double bogey after he fluffed a chip shot and missed another critical putt.

Ultimately, he ended with an uncharacteristic 34 putts on some of the trickiest greens in golf, capping off a rough back nine that converted early promise into disappointment.

Despite the setbacks, McIlroy’s performance was still superior to two fellow competitors, Justin Rose and Shane Lowry, who carded 77 and 79, respectively. As McIlroy signed his scorecard, he found himself tied for 54th place and slipped further down the leaderboard as later players teed off.

The heavy burden of expectation weighed heavily upon him, and he chose to forgo comment to the media after the round, leaving his fans left wondering how he can reclaim his edge.