World number two Rory McIlroy admitted he was reduced to tears after throwing away a four-shot final round lead at the US Masters in April.
The Northern Irishman, who went on to win the US Open two months later, led by four shots after three rounds at Augusta, but carded a final-round 80 as South African Charl Schwartzel went on to win the title.
The poor final round included a hook into Rae's Creek from the 13th tee, but McIlroy said it was the next morning, when speaking to his parents, that he began crying.
"I definitely felt like crying because the drive on the 13th was the one that took all my chances away," McIlroy said.
"But I didn't actually cry until the next morning, when I spoke to my mum and dad. I spoke to them before I went to the airport on the Monday. My mum might have said something like: 'Oh don't worry Rory, everything will be OK,' and I just blubbed back: 'No, it won't be OK.'"
"It was one of those things. There were so many thoughts and emotions going through my head. At the time it felt like the only chance I would have of winning at Augusta and I blew it."
"When did I last cry over golf? I don't know - when I was kid, probably. It's not worth crying over, is it? It's only a game."
Despite the disastrous finish at the Masters, McIlroy bounced back at the US Open - winning the title after taking an eight-shot lead into the final round.
The 22-year-old said he used the choker tag attributed to him as motivation at the Congressional Country Club.
"Part of the motivation I had (at the US Open) was trying to prove something to myself, that I wasn't one of those players who crumbles under the pressure, who folds, or chokes," McIlroy said.
"I hate using the word choke but that's exactly what happened at the Masters. I also wanted to prove people wrong, whether it was the media or just critics in general. I wanted to show them that the person they saw on Sunday at Augusta was not the real Rory McIlroy."