Phil Mickelson has admitted that he found finishing second at the US Open for the sixth time in his career very tough to take.
Mickelson held the lead going into his final round at the Merion Golf Club, but gave up the advantage with a pair of double bogeys on the front nine.
An eagle at the 10th kept the veteran in contention, but Justin Rose stayed consistent under pressure to triumph in Philadelphia.
After finishing two shots behind Rose, the 43-year-old conceded that he let perhaps his best-ever chance of a US Open title slip, blaming a pair of poor shots at crucial points as he was forced to settle for a share of second place.
He told Sky Sports News: "I hung tough and waited until I got some birdie holes. Holes 13 and 15 were the two bad shots of the day where I let it go.
"Those two wedge shots were the two costly shots. It just seemed that I hit putt after putt that I couldn't quite get in.
"For me, it's heartbreaking. This could have been a big turnaround for me on how I look at the US Open. I played well here and I really loved the golf course."
Only Jack Nicklaus has now come second at a single major more than Mickelson, with seven runner-up finishes at the Open Championship.
Liam Power
