McIlroy’s errors give DeChambeau his second major

PINEHURST, N.C. – Bryson DeChambeau climbed back into Pinehurst No. 2’s most famous bunker, this time with the US Open trophy instead of its 55-degree sand wedge, filling the silver prize with grains of sand to commemorate the best shot of your life.

Rory McIlroy wanted to bury his head in the sand.

DeChambeau won his second US Open title on Sunday by going up and down from 55 yards into a bunker – one of the toughest shots in golf – to deliver another unforgettable finish at Pinehurst and a celebration as raucous as when his hero, Payne Stewart, won with a great par putt in 1999.

“That’s Payne, honey!” DeChambeau yelled as he walked off the 18th green.

This was nothing like DeChambeau’s victory at Winged Foot in 2020, when there were no fans and no drama. This was a huge cliffhanger that ultimately came down to a trio of short putts.

McIlroy, who for much of the final round looked certain to end 10 years without a major, held a one-stroke lead until he missed a 30-inch par putt on the 16th hole. He tied for the lead on the 18th, with DeChambeau Behind him in the final group, McIlroy missed a par attempt from just 4 feet.

He was in the scorer’s room watching, hopefully, a two-hole playoff when DeChambeau got into trouble off the tee, as he had all day. But then DeChambeau had the magic moment with his bunker shot to 4 feet and made the par putt for a 1-over 71.

“That shot into the bunker was the shot of my life,” DeChambeau said.

Moments later, McIlroy was in his car, wheels spinning in the gravel as he left Pinehurst without comment. There wasn’t much to say. This one will burn.

“As much as it’s heartbreaking for some people, it was heartbreaking for me on the PGA,” said DeChambeau, who a month ago made a spectacular birdie on the 18th hole at Valhalla, only to have Xander Schauffele match him with a birdie to win the PGA Championship.

“I really wanted this one,” DeChambeau said. “When I turned the corner and saw he was a couple further back, I said, ‘No, I’m not going to let that happen.’ I have to focus on figuring out how to make this happen.”

True to form as one of golf’s great entertainers, 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 that. DeChambeau repeatedly waved those strong arms as he shouted at the blue sky, spinning in every direction toward a gallery that cheered him on all week.

Although this US Open will be remembered for DeChambeau’s wonderful bunker shot, McIlroy played an important role. He didn’t miss a putt under 4 feet for 69 holes on Donald Ross’s slippery, domed greens. And then, with the US Open on the line, he missed two on the last 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 genius, the opposite of DeChambeau’s exuberance. He walked confidently to the 14th tee with a two-stroke lead as the chants grew louder.

DeChambeau could hear them and hit a 3-wood on the reachable par-4 13th (the tees were pushed to 316 yards) to the center of the green for a close birdie.

McIlroy made bogey behind the green on the 15th hole, but stayed one ahead when DeChambeau, playing in the group behind him, made his first triple putt of the week on the 15th hole when he missed from 4 feet.

And that’s where this US Open took a devastating turn for McIlroy.

He missed a 30-inch par putt on the 16th hole and tied it again. On the 18th hole, McIlroy’s tee shot landed behind a wire bush. He flew close to the green and pitched beautifully to 4 feet. And he failed again.

DeChambeau kept fans guessing until the end. He turned his drive left into a horrible lie, with a tree in his backswing and a root in front of the golf ball. The best he could do was hit it onto the green and it rolled into a right front bunker.

“One of the worst places I could have been,” DeChambeau. But he said his caddy, Greg Bodine, kept it simple.

“G-Bo just said, ‘Bryson, go 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 from 50 yards out of a bunker,’” DeChambeau said.

During the trophy ceremony, the shot was replayed on a video screen.

“I still can’t believe those ups and downs,” DeChambeau said.

Since winning the US Open at Congressional in 2011, McIlroy has seven top 10s at this championship without a victory; It’s been over 100 years since someone did this well without going home 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 on the flag on the 18th, and DeChambeau donned a Stewart-inspired flat cap during the trophy presentation, later replacing it with his LIV “Crushers” cap.

He finished with a 274, six under par.

Patrick Cantlay lingered on this duel all afternoon, unable to get his putts to fall at the right time until he missed a 7-foot par putt on the 16th hole that ended his chances. He closed with a 70 and tied for third with Tony Finau, who tied Sunday’s best with a 67 without ever having a serious chance of winning.

This is not the same DeChambeau became such a polarizing figure: the target of boos for slow play and his feud with Brooks Koepka. In the hills of North Carolina, he had thousands of people on his side. He signed autographs during his round, interacted with fans, and put on an incredible show.

And when he finished, he looked at the two-story stands around the 18th and at the thousands of people surrounding the 18th green and invited them to his party.

“I love all of you in some way,” he said, pointing them in all directions, “I want you to touch this trophy because I want you to experience how I feel about me. “You were part of this journey this week and I want you to be part of it at the after party.”

DeChambeau was not perfect. He only made five fairways, the fewest in the final round for a US Open champion since Ángel Cabrera at Oakmont in 2007. He couldn’t escape trouble on the 12th hole, leading to a bogey that left him two shots behind. He made his first three putts of the week at the worst time, on the 15th, to briefly fall behind.

But in the end he showed the mettle of a two-time US Open champion.

“The most impressive thing about Bryson is not that he hits the ball far. Everybody knows that,” said Matthieu Pavon, who played with DeChambeau and shot 71 to finish fifth. “I was surprised by the quality of the short game on 18. It’s a master class.”