Bryson DeChambeau - Your 2024 United States Open Champion
Bryson DeChambeau and Rory McIlroy. American dominance at the majors on a streak not seen in 40-years with an international favorite looking to end the run. Historic Pinehurst Number 2 delivers yet again, 25 years after its triumphant moment in golf lore with Payne Stewart’s one legged celebration after defeating Phil Mickelson by, you guessed it, one stroke after sinking a clutch putt on 18. DeChambeau tried his best to honor Payne’s memory and victory during the round on Sunday. McIlroy, on the other hand, drew comparisons to another historical moment from the ‘90s that will forever be part of golf conversations for years to come. Many social media commenters immediately fabricated parallels between Rory and, the now PGA Tour nemesis, Greg Norman following Sunday’s falter down the stretch. No such threads connecting one of the world’s best talents to the self-served Norman will be made here. What will be made is a celebration of a phenomenal U.S. Open: a personal triumph for Bryson and one for the ages on Number 2.
Sunday’s storylines started off the final round with a focus on Bryson and the re-match, if you will, between Rory, Patrick Cantlay, and Joe LaCava. The relationship between McIlroy and Cantlay has recently grown icier since their Ryder Cup dustup and a choice “nickname” given to Cantlay in an interview by McIlroy. Throughout the fourth round, Cantlay never managed to make any noise on Sunday and never truly challenged the top of the leaderboard. I was surprised a bit to see the final pairings come out as as DeChambeau - Pavon & McIlroy - Cantlay. Knowing that this was likely to come down to Bryson & Rory, I think we missed out on an all-time pairing at Pinehurst. But, Sunday still delivered an all-time classic of a final round.
Tony Finau (T3 | -4) made noise very late in the round as he was fighting to get into contention for his first major victory. Finau feels the week was a success after looking back at his final round, “It was one of those days where I started out flat, swing wasn’t there, putter didn’t show great. I fought my way back. I was really proud of the way I hung in there all week, especially the way I played today. I thought that back nine was awesome.” The Finau family has quite a following in itself, and that was put on display after Tony walked off the 18th green to the open arms and cheers from his entire family, “Walking off the 18th green, I always feel like a winner when I see my wife and my kids. That’s a win in my book.”
World Number 1, Scottie Scheffler, never came close to contending for the trophy after carding one of his most disappointing four-round performances in his professional career. He spoke about takeaways for himself after a very tough week on a course that’s less than forgiving, “I could not see the break on the greens. The greens this week kind of had my number. I felt like I hit a lot of really good putts that did weird things at the cup that I was not expecting them to do.” It’s safe to say that Scottie has been on a run for the record books so far in 2024. Winning the week leading into the U.S. Open is an accomplishment not to be overlooked when reflecting back upon the full season. What will be worth watching is how this performance at Pinehurst shapes the remainder of 2024 for Scheffler. With one major left, the Olympics, and the Tour Championship, Scottie will have plenty of opportunities to add to the trophy case in the months to come.
A tough week at Pinehurst Number 2 for World Number 1, Scottie Scheffler
The final two pairings on Sunday afternoon delivered exactly what we, as fans of the game, would come to expect of the final round of the U.S. Open. At one point, McIlroy held a two shot advantage over DeChambeau. It was at this point that Bryson started watching the leaderboard and made the decision that he was not going to let Rory walk away without a challenge, “When I turned the corner and saw I was a couple back, I said, Nope, I'm not going to let that happen. I have to focus on figuring out how to make this happen.” Figuring it out is exactly what Bryson did. Staying consistent over the final five holes, scrambling like a short game master, and coming up with clutch putt after clutch putt allowed DeChambeau to be in a position to win coming into the 18 green.
Rory had his opportunities to retain his lead heading down the stretch. It was his putter that failed him over the final four holes as he watched his lead evaporate into the Carolina evening. As the shadows of the longleaf pines started to cross the fairways and greens, McIlroy saw his chances dwindling as two short par putts missed the mark. Either putt being a fraction of an inch in one direction would have placed McIlroy into a playoff for the U.S. Open, and both falling would have seen a different champion being crowned on the 18th green. Almost unshakeable inside four feet on the greens this year, Rory saw one of his biggest strengths become a nightmare that is sure to haunt him for years to come. Since missing his par attempt on 18 Sunday, Rory has withdrawn from the upcoming Travelers Championship in Connecticut and announced that he will not return to competitive golf until his title defense at the Genesis Scottish Open. A much needed break from the sport comes at a time when there are so many questions for Rory McIlroy after the final round at Pinehurst.
Bryson DeChambeau, of whom many public relations case studies are likely to be written, capped off an epic week with a final hole that will be replayed for years. While finding away to avoid trouble for most of the day, and with several lucky bounces in the native areas, Bryson found his second shot in a very difficult spot. The ball, smashed down the left side of the fairway, came to rest under a magnolia tree and within millimeters of an exposed root. I felt oddly connected to Bryson in this moment, as he was in a position that countless an amateur has found themselves in many a round. That’s where the connection ended as DeChambeau made significantly better contact than I ever could have hoped to manufacture from such a difficult position. The shot resulted in a long bunker approach with the balance of the tournament hanging on the next swing. What happened next is a golf shot that I don’t believe even Bryson thought would play out so perfectly. Blasted high into the air, the ball traveled roughly 50 yards through that setting sun and humid North Carolina air and came to rest short of the hole with a very manageable par putt. The advice from his caddie after his second shot was the best of the tournament, “G-Bo (Bryson’s caddie) just said, Bryson, just get it up-and-down. That's all you've got to do. You've done this plenty of times before. I've seen some crazy shots from you from 50 yards out of a bunker. I said, you're right; I need a 55-degree, let's do it.” And do it is exactly what he did. With his win, he takes home a record $4.3million prize, a 10-year exemption into the U.S. Open, 5-year exemptions into the Masters, The Open Championship, PGA Championships, and most importantly sees his name etched onto the trophy as the 2024 United States Open Champion. Congratulations, Bryson DeChambeau, on a tournament well-played and a victory that was earned.
Bryson DeChambeau celebrates his 2024 U.S. Open victory. Copyright USGA/Chris Keane.
All scores and statistics were obtained from the USGA. Media interview transcripts provided by ASAP Sports. 