Breaking Rory McIlroy collapse few minutes after Bryson DeChambeau wins U.S. Open and has been confirm…..
Bryson DeChambeau sealed his second U.S. Open victory with a clutch par save on the 72nd hole after Rory McIlroy’s collapse down the stretch.
For a while, Sunday seemed like the day Rory McIlroy would finally get his fifth major title.
After three birdies in four holes, including a lucky bounce off the grandstands on the 13th hole, McIlroy had turned what was a three-shot deficit to Bryson DeChambeau into a two-shot lead with five holes to play.
But he couldn’t close.
McIlroy bogeyed three of his final four holes, which included two short misses for par on both the 16th and 18th — heartbreaking blows that allowed DeChambeau to win his second major of his career.
Playing in the pairing ahead of DeChambeau, McIlroy’s final’s hiccup was the most devastating. He was tied with DeChambeau at six under, but McIlroy lipped out a putt from 3 feet, 9 inches to make bogey. DeChambeau got up and down from the bunker to make his par and win by one.
DeChambeau shot a one-over 71 and finished six under overall, while McIlroy (69) settled for a solo second.
On 18, DeChambeau pulled his tee shot and drew an awkward lie in the sandy area and hacked out into a bunker 55 yards short of the pin. And, similar to what Payne Stewart did 25 years ago at the first U.S. Open at Pinehurst, DeChambeau made the decisive up-and-down to win.
DeChambeau’s winning putt was 4 feet. He called the bunker shot the best of his career.
“That’s Payne right there, baby,” he shouted not long after he holed the final putt, pointing to a patch on his hat.
Earlier in his career, DeChambeau donned a flat cap-style hat similar to one Stewart, who tragically passed away four months after his dramatic 1999 U.S. Open victory, wore throughout his playing days. DeChambeau wore one again during the trophy shot.
It’s DeChambeau’s second U.S. Open title and second major overall, but first since he left the PGA Tour for LIV Golf in 2022. He’s now the second LIV golfer to win a major championship, joining Brooks Koepka at the 2023 PGA Championship.
DeChambeau, however, has admitted he’s a very different person than the one who triumphed at Winged Foot four years ago, a U.S. Open played without fans and in September due to the pandemic. It was the fans the 30-year-old got his energy from this week, easily becoming the crowd favorite by focusing on entertaining while competing.
That was on display all week with his fiery and emotional demeanor on the course through his celebrations. He even talked to fans and signed autographs during tournament play, almost unheard of in the sport.