PINEHURST, N.C. (AP) — Bryson DeChambeau climbed back into Pinehurst No. 2’s most famous bunker, this time with the U.S. Open trophy instead of his 55-degree sand wedge, filling the prize money money from grains of sand to commemorate the best shot of his life.
Rory McIlroy wanted to bury his head in the sand.
DeChambeau won his second U.S. Open title on Sunday by going up and down 55 yards into a bunker – one of the toughest shots in golf – to deliver another unforgettable finish at Pinehurst and a celebration every bit as raucous as when his hero, Payne Stewart, won with a big par putt in 1999.
“It’s Payne right there, baby!” DeChambeau shouted as he left the 18th green.
It had nothing to do with DeChambeau winning at Winged Foot in 2020, when there were no fans or drama. It was high suspense that ultimately came down to a trio of short putts.
McIlroy, who for much of the final round seemed certain to end 10 years without a major, had a one-shot lead until he missed a 30-inch par putt on the 16th hole. Tied for the lead on the 18th, with DeChambeau behind him in the final group, McIlroy missed a par attempt just under 4 feet.
He was in the score room watching, hoping, for a two-hole playoff when DeChambeau ran into trouble off the tee as he had all day. But then DeChambeau delivered the magic moment with his bunker shot from 4 feet and made the a few putts for a 1 in 71.
“That bunker shot was the shot of my life,” DeChambeau said.
Moments later, McIlroy was in his car, the wheels spinning on the gravel as he drove out of Pinehurst without comment. There wasn’t much to say. This one will sting.
“As much as it’s heartbreaking for some people, it’s been heartbreaking for me at the PGA,” said DeChambeau, who a month ago made a dramatic birdie on the 18th hole at Valhalla, only to Xander Schauffele will make a birdie to win the PGA Championship.
“I really wanted this one,” DeChambeau said. “When I turned the corner and saw I was a couple back, I said, ‘No, I’m not going to let that happen.’ I need to focus on how to get there.
True to form as a great golf artist, he put on quite a show.
The par putt wasn’t as long or as suspenseful as Stewart’s in 1999. The celebration was all of that. DeChambeau repeatedly pumped his powerful arms while shouting to the blue sky, turning in all directions toward a gallery that had cheered him on all week.
As much as this US Open will be remembered for DeChambeau’s marvelous bunker shot, McIlroy played a big role. He hadn’t missed a putt shorter than 4 feet through 69 holes on the smooth, domed greens at Donald Ross. And then, with the U.S. Open on the line, he missed two over the final three holes for a 69.
McIlroy looked like a winner. He made four birdies in a five-hole stretch around the turn. He was a model of cool, the opposite of DeChambeau’s exuberance. He confidently marched to the 14th tee with a two-shot lead as the chants grew louder.
“Ror-EE!” Ror-EE! »
DeChambeau could hear them, and he hit a 3-wood on the reachable par-4 13th — the tees were advanced to 316 yards — into the middle of the green to keep a birdie close.
McIlroy took a bogey behind the 15th green, but remained one ahead when DeChambeau, playing in the group behind him, made his first three-putt of the week on the 15th when he missed from 4 feet.
And that’s where this US Open took a devastating turn for McIlroy.
He missed a 30-inch putt on the 16th hole to fall back into a tie. On the 18th hole, McIlroy’s tee shot landed behind a grass bush. It exploded short of the green and launched beautifully to 4 feet. And he failed again.
DeChambeau kept the fans in suspense until the end. He shot to the left in a terrible lie, with a tree in his backswing and a root in front of the golf ball. The best he could do was hit it toward the green, and it rolled into a right-front bunker.
“One of the worst places I could have been,” DeChambeau said. But he said his caddy, Greg Bodine, kept things simple.
“G-Bo just said, ‘Bryson, do it up and down. That’s all you have to do. You’ve done this many times before. I’ve seen some crazy shots from you 50 yards from a bunker,’” DeChambeau said.
During the trophy ceremony, the shot was broadcast on a video screen.
“I still can’t believe it from top to bottom,” DeChambeau said.
Since winning the U.S. Open at Congressional in 2011, McIlroy has seven top-10 finishes in this championship without a win – it’s been more than 100 years since anyone has done that well without walking away with the trophy.
DeChambeau becomes the second LIV Golf player to win a major, following Brooks Koepka at the PGA Championship last year.
An image of Stewart’s famous pose was featured on the pin flag on the 18th, and DeChambeau donned a Stewart-inspired flat cap during the trophy presentation, later replacing it with his “Crushers” cap from LIV.
He finished at 6-under 274.
Patrick Cantlay dwelled on this duel all afternoon, unable to sink putts at the right time until he missed a 7-foot par putt on the 16th hole that ended his chances. He finished with a 70 and tied for third with Tony Finau, who tied his Sunday best with a 67 without ever having a serious chance of winning.
This is not the same DeChambeau who had become such a polarizing figure – a target of heckling for slow play and his spat with Brooks Koepka. In the dunes of North Carolina, he had thousands at his side. He signed autographs during his tour, he interacted with fans and he put on a hell of a show.
And when it was over, he looked at the double-decker stands around 18 and the thousands of people surrounding the 18 green and invited them to his party.
“I want all of you, one way or another,” he said, pointing in every direction, “I want you to touch this trophy because I want you to experience about how this feels to me You were a part of this journey this week, and I want you to be a part of it for the afterparty.
DeChambeau was not perfect. He hit just five fairways, the fewest in the final round by a US Open champion since Angel Cabrera at Oakmont in 2007. He couldn’t escape trouble on the 12th, leading to a bogey that ‘dropped two shots behind. He made his first three-putt of the week at the worst time, on the 15th, only to briefly fall behind.
But he showed the courage of a two-time US Open champion in the end.
“The most impressive thing about Bryson isn’t that he hits the ball far. Everyone knows it,” said Matthieu Pavon, who played with DeChambeau and shot 71 to finish fifth. “I was amazed by the quality of the short game of the 18. It’s a master class.”
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