Bryson DeChambeau needed some good fortune in the U.S. Open, but that didn’t tamp down the celebration of his second major championship.
DeChambeau parred the final three holes to complete a 1-over-par 71, and that was enough for a one-shot victory Sunday in Pinehurst, N.C., as he captured the U.S. Open for the second time in five years.
“Just thankful,” the 30-year-old DeChambeau said. “Thankful that I was a part of it.”
DeChambeau, who began the day with a three-shot lead, finished at 6-under 274, benefitting from Rory McIlroy’s late putting failures.
McIlroy, who gained the lead on the back side, bogeyed the last hole by missing a par putt from about 4 feet. Then DeChambeau, playing in the last group, clinched it with a par putt after blasting out of a greenside bunker on his third shot.
That was quite a recovery following a wayward tee shot that put him in a bind.
“I was a little lucky,” DeChambeau said. “Rory didn’t make a couple putts that he could have coming in. I had an amazing up-and-down on the last.”
DeChambeau let out a huge scream amid an animated reaction after the ball dropped into the cup on the final putt.
“I really wanted this one,” said the LIV Golf member who was runner-up to Xander Schauffele at last month’s PGA Championship.
DeChambeau became the second former Southern Methodist University golfer to win a U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, with this title coming 25 years after Payne Stewart’s memorable championship.
“I wanted to get this one done, especially at such a special place that means so much to me, SMU, my dad, what Payne meant to him,” DeChambeau said.
McIlroy’s 69 was tainted by bogeys on three of the last four holes, and he finished as the U.S. Open runner-up for the second year in a row. McIlroy, who won the 2011 U.S. Open, was trying to secure his fifth major championship and his first since 2014.
Video was shown of McIlroy leaving the course grounds about six minutes after DeChambeau’s last putt, apparently without any interest in discussing the adventurous final day. The championship might be remembered for McIlroy’s late struggles as much as DeChambeau’s title.
McIlroy drew even at 6 under with birdies on Nos. 9 and 10. McIlroy birdied at No. 12 and, in the following group, DeChambeau bogeyed as the Northern Irishman jumped into the lead.
Both players birdied the par-4 13th; DeChambeau drove the green at No. 13 but left an eagle putt short. It was tied again after McIlroy’s tee shot at the par-3 No. 15 was long and he failed to get up and down, but DeChambeau proceeded to miss a short par putt at the same hole.
After McIlroy missed a birdie try at No. 16, he had 2 1/2 feet left for par — but his tap lipped off the left edge. That misstep created a tie with DeChambeau at 6 under.
Tony Finau (67) and Patrick Cantlay (70) tied for third place at 4 under, France’s Matthieu Pavon (71) claimed fifth at 3 under and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (70) was sixth at 2 under.
Cantlay and McIlroy shared the first-round lead and they ended up just one stroke apart.
“I thought the venue was great,” Cantlay said. “The golf course was in perfect U.S. Open shape.”
Pavon, who played with DeChambeau in Sunday’s final pairing, had his best finish in a major.
“It was nice to feel that sort of energy,” Pavon said. “To drop some birdies on my back nine to finish fifth was really nice.”
Only eight golfers finished under par for the week. Russell Henley (67) and Schauffele (68) finished at 1 under.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler never got untracked, shooting 72 in the final round and tying for 41st place at 8 over. Just like the second round, he had no birdies in his final 18-hole tour around the course.
“I feel like I did some good things this week, but overall I definitely need to do some things better,” Scheffler said.
Neal Shipley, who posted 72 on Sunday, was the low amateur at 6 over. The 2022 Pennsylvania State Amateur champion, a native of Pittsburgh, played three years of college golf for James Madison before a two-year stint that ended this spring at Ohio State.
–Field Level Media
