DeChambeau wins U.S. Open as McIlroy falters

PINEHURST, N.C. — The 18th gap at Pinehurst No. 2 on Sunday turned LIV Golf League captain Bryson DeChambeau right into a U.S. Open champion once more — and left Rory McIlroy nonetheless making an attempt to finish his practically 10-year drought with no main championship victory after arguably essentially the most heartbreaking near-miss of his profession.

After watching McIlroy inexplicably miss a brief par putt for the second time in three holes on the 18th, DeChambeau hit a troublesome punch shot from close to a tree root within the native space and right into a bunker throughout the green. From 55 yards away, he chipped to about 4 toes and sunk a par putt to complete 6 below — 1 shot higher than McIlroy.

“I used to be going to try to birdie the outlet on 18, clearly, if I hit a great drive, however pulled it,” DeChambeau stated. “However I knew the place Rory was. After my tee shot, I used to be up there going, ‘Man, if he makes par, I do not understand how I’ll beat him.’ I simply actually did not know. Then I heard the moans. Like a shot of adrenaline received in me. I stated, ‘OK, you are able to do this.'”

With DeChambeau and McIlroy tied at 6 below — and McIlroy taking part in within the group in entrance of the ultimate one — each gamers pulled their tee pictures into the unpredictable native space close to the grandstand on the left of the green on No. 18.

McIlroy’s ball got here to relaxation behind a big clump of wiregrass about 123 yards from the outlet. His solely choice was to blast the ball via the grass and up the green. His method stopped simply in need of the inexperienced. He chipped to 4 toes and missed the par putt. He made the quick bogey putt and will solely watch DeChambeau end.

McIlroy watched DeChambeau’s profitable putt on TV within the scorer’s room. He sped out of the gamers’ car parking zone in a courtesy SUV lower than 10 minutes later. He did not speak to the media.

“Rory is without doubt one of the greatest to ever play,” DeChambeau stated. “Having the ability to combat in opposition to a fantastic like that’s fairly particular. For him to overlook that putt, I would by no means want it on anyone. It simply occurred to play out that method.”

As DeChambeau walked off the 18th inexperienced as a two-time U.S. Open champion, he screamed, “That is Payne proper there, child!” He was referring to Payne Stewart, who defeated Phil Mickelson by 1 stroke with a 15-foot par putt on the 72nd gap of the 1999 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2.

Stewart died in a aircraft crash on Oct. 25, 1999. DeChambeau stated seeing a mural of Stewart was one of many causes he determined to attend SMU.

DeChambeau known as his chip out of the bunker on the 18th gap the “greatest shot of my life.”

“I used to be simply making an attempt to land it just about the place I landed it and run it out to the fitting,” DeChambeau stated. “I keep in mind Payne’s putt and the way it broke up there, and I knew that was clearly large to stand up and all the way down to win this prestigious championship that would be the spotlight of my life. I nonetheless cannot imagine it. It is unbelievable.”

Matthieu Pavon, who was taking part in with DeChambeau, known as his work on No. 18 a “grasp class.”

“What’s most spectacular about Bryson isn’t that he hits the ball far,” Pavon stated. “Everyone is aware of it. However I used to be amazed by the standard of the quick recreation on 18. He is a hell of a participant. He has no weak spot, and he is a very nice champion.”

DeChambeau, the 2020 U.S. Open champion at Winged Foot Golf Membership in New York, began the ultimate spherical with a 3-stroke lead. He briefly misplaced it to McIlroy on the again 9 earlier than pulling it out ultimately.

DeChambeau carded a 1-over 71 within the last spherical. He’s the primary U.S. Open champion to report a rating over par within the last spherical since Graeme McDowell (3-over 74) at Pebble Seashore Golf Hyperlinks in 2010.

“After I turned the nook and noticed I used to be a pair again, I stated, ‘Nope, I am not going to let that occur. I’ve to deal with determining make this occur,'” DeChambeau stated. “I used to be just a little fortunate. Rory did not make a pair putts that he may have coming in.”

McIlroy posted a 1-under 69 and completed runner-up in a significant for the fourth time in his profession. He additionally completed solo second, 1 stroke behind Wyndham Clark, within the 2023 U.S. Open at Los Angeles Nation Membership. He’s the second participant up to now 40 years to complete runner-up by 1 shot in the identical main in consecutive years; Jim Furyk did it within the U.S. Open in 2006-07.

Tony Finau (3-under 67) and Patrick Cantlay (even-par 70) tied for third at 4 below. Pavon, who was trying to change into the primary golfer from France to win the U.S. Open, was fifth after posting a 1-over 71 on Sunday.

The primary U.S. Open performed at Pinehurst No. 2 in a decade can be remembered as a lot for McIlroy’s collapse as for DeChambeau’s victory. McIlroy was making an attempt to win his first main championship because the 2014 PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Membership in Louisville, Kentucky.

After lastly wresting the lead from DeChambeau with birdies on Nos. 9, 10, 12 and 13 to change into the primary golfer to get to eight below for a 2-shot benefit, McIlroy had probably the most forgettable finishes of any final-round chief in a significant.

McIlroy carded bogeys on Nos. 15, 16 and 18 to fall again to five below. On the par-3 fifteenth, he blasted his tee shot over the inexperienced and could not stand up and down for par.

After DeChambeau missed a 4-foot par putt on No. 15 to present McIlroy a 1-shot lead, McIlroy inexplicably hit a 2½-foot par putt on No. 16 too onerous and it lipped out. He hadn’t missed a putt inside 3 toes all season.

McIlroy performed the ultimate 4 holes in 3 over, turning into the primary runner-up by a stroke to try this within the U.S. Open since Mickelson in 2006, in line with ESPN Stats & Data information. Mickelson additionally performed Nos. 15-18 in 3 over and misplaced to Geoff Ogilvy by 1 stroke.

“He’ll win a number of extra main championships, there is not any doubt,” DeChambeau stated. “I believe that fireplace in him goes to proceed to develop. I’ve nothing however respect for the way he performs the sport of golf as a result of, to be sincere, when he was climbing up the leaderboard, he was 2 forward, I used to be like, ‘Uh-oh, uh-oh.’ However fortunately issues went my method right this moment.”