Bryson's genius, Rory's soul-crushing defeat

Welcome to GOLF.com's “Seen & Heard” video series, where we give you an inside look at golf's biggest events through the eyes and ears of our local team. On deck this week: the 2024 US Open at Pinehurst No. 2 in Pinehurst, North Carolina. Let's go!

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How does one put into words what it was like to see the final holes of the 2024 US Open on Sunday? GOLF's James Colgan had a few.

“I can't believe what I just saw,” he marveled. “I don't know if I've ever had so much fun at a golf tournament in my entire life. That was officially the saddest end to a golf tournament. I feel a sense of gratitude that I just saw that with my own two eyes.”

Golf fans already know “that” Colgan was referring to: Rory McIlroy's shockingly short miss and Bryson DeChambeau's heroic 55-yard up-and-down from the bunker to win the US Open by one.

Anyone who plays golf knows that the game brings sorrow and joy, often in unequal ways. For McIlroy, it was a brutal defeat and another close call. For DeChambeau, it felt like fate. On the 25th anniversary of Payne Stewart's thrilling victory at Pinehurst, DeChambeau followed in the footsteps of his teenage idol, putting on a show for the ages, and the fans welcomed him.

“I'm just interested,” DeChambeau said after his win. “I really care about doing well here and showing the fans a side of me that has been locked away for so long.”

What a week, what a champion. The final championship of the year, the Open Championship, can't come soon enough.

For information on all of the GOLF team's activities at Pinehurst, watch the video above, and view the full Sight & Heard playlist below.

Golf.com Editor

As a four-year member of Columbia's first varsity golf class, Jessica knows how to outrun everyone on the golf course. He can pass them through the office, too, where he is primarily responsible for producing both print and online features, and overseeing major special projects, such as GOLF's first Style Issue, which began in February 2018. His first interview series, “A Round With,” released in November 2015, and appeared in both magazine and video form on GOLF.com.