Bryson DeChambeau won his second US Open title in four years after winning the battle of the ages with Rory McIlroy on Sunday afternoon at Pinehurst, where the outcome of the third major tournament of the season rested until the final shot.
The heavyweight showdown between two of the sport's biggest stars – and the poster boys for their rivals' journeys – more than lived up to its billing, with the pair trading hammer blows until the last man was left standing after five hours.
Trailing by three shots through 54 holes, DeChambeau was out of a tie with Matthieu Pavon, who was looking to become the first Frenchman to win the most since Francis Ouimet in 1913, and McIlroy, who was looking to end a 10-year drought. in the majors, paired with Patrick Cantlay for the first time since last year's Ryder Cup firefight, one team ahead.
A packed group of players moved down the leaderboard quickly, and Ludvig Åberg, the first US Open leader after 36 holes, made a triple-bogey on the second hole to effectively remove himself from contention, while Pavon claimed a birdie on the third. for the first, fourth, eighth and 12th shotsth ending France's hopes of greater glory.
Hideki Matsuyama, one of the few players within touching distance, opened with eight straight pars but bogeyed the 9th.thwhile Cantlay's putter was stone cold all day, leaving the two main characters to duke it out on the back nine.
STATEMENT OF PURPOSE
McIlroy wasted no time closing the gap on the leader when he holed a 20-footer for birdie at the first, a statement of intent that meant a battle ahead. DeChambeau, who changed his driver's head 15 minutes before his tee time, overcame a series of bad breaks, saving drives that landed in the fairway divot on the first and a bunker on the second.
His lead was cut to one after a bogey on the 4th, but McIlroy got a shot back late on the par-5 par-5 after what appeared to be a wedge-shaped pin that rolled down the hill and into the hole. a sandy area where he can only make bogey.
McIlroy put his shot on the par-three nine to 15 feet to turn 34 and back to the eighth DeChambeau was causing a lot of excitement, completing a significant ups and downs to maintain par and stay ahead.
A layup on the par-five 10th meant McIlroy had 27 feet to join the lead and he finished, but DeChambeau again found a layoff off the tee and played a lay-up, trailing. with a good voice to five meters to return his nose to the front.
He wouldn't be alone for long, as McIlroy bogeyed 22 feet on 12 and the 35-year-old took the lead alone after DeChambeau was penalized for bogey after finding a waste spot down the right side of the tee on the same hole.
The 13th tee was brought forward and McIlroy briefly led by two after driving to the side of the green and going up and down, but DeChambeau drove into the putt and went down in two himself.
MCILROY'S QUSTLY MISSE
McIlroy dropped a shot at the 15th after putting his tee on the green, but DeChambeau birdied the same hole for McIlroy to return the favor at 16, missing a two-footer to leave the pair back in a tie. .
Recovering from a poor game meant McIlroy was two feet from par at the last but he couldn't make the putt and left the door open for DeChambeau to finish. The 2020 champion hit his last shot into the left fairway, his ball landing near the root of a tree. He holed his second shot under the green, then hit a stunning third shot from 55 feet that curled to within four feet, where he rolled the putt before celebrating in style only DeChambeau knows how.
DeChambeau carded a one-over 71 to finish at 6-under for the week, one better than McIlroy, whose 69 left him in second place for the second year running after losing by one shot to Wyndham Clark in Los. Angeles last year.
“I still can't believe it up and down,” DeChambeau said during the bowl game. “Probably the best shot of my life.”
As for McIlroy, he cut an unpleasant figure as he watched the action from the scorer's hut, opened his car and headed for the parking lot, then a waiting private jet, as soon as he saw his opponent's winning putt.
“Rory is one of the best players we have ever played. “To be able to fight against a big team like this is very important,” said DeChambeau. “For him to miss that putt, I would never wish that on anyone. It just happened that way.”
DeChambeau's win extends the Americans' reign in the majors in more than four decades. Six different Americans have won the past six majors, starting with Brooks Koepka at the US PGA Championship last year, Wyndham Clark at last year's US Open, Brian Harman at the Open, Scottie Scheffler at Augusta and Xander Schauffele last month at Valhalla. .
For all scores from the 124th US Open Championship, and video clips of the final round, click here.
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