US Open Final Leaderboard
-6 DeChambeau (USA) -Five McIlroy (NI) -Four Cantlay, Finau (USA) -3 Pabon (Fra) -2 Matsuyama (Japan) -1 Schauffele, Henry (USA)
Other selected: +1 Aberg (Swedish) +2 Morikawa (USA) +3 Fleetwood (English) +4 Rai (English) +6 Hutton (English) +8 Scheffler (USA), McKibbin (Northern Ireland)
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Rory McIlroy made three bogeys in the final four holes to lose the U.S. Open to Bryson DeChambeau, missing out on a chance to end his decade-long wait for a major title.
It was a heartbreaking end to what had been his best performance to date for the Northern Irishman, who had overturned a three-stroke deficit to the American with five holes to go to take a two-stroke lead.
However, missed short par putts on the 16th and 18th holes proved fatal, and DeChambeau showed his ability to make par in the final moments to win his second major championship.
DeChambeau hit his second shot on the par-4 18th hole into a bunker 50 yards from the hole, but his third shot, from the sand, led to a 4-foot putt for the title and what he called “the shot of my life.”
“Winning this prestigious championship means a lot to me. It will be the highlight of my life,” added DeChambeau, who also won the title in 2020.
It was McIlroy’s fourth time finishing second in a major tournament and his fourth and final victory since winning the 2014 PGA Championship.
It was a thrilling conclusion to four grueling days of testing on the legendary No. 2 course in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
McIlroy dominated the first 14 holes of the final round, chasing down DeChambeau, who had held the previous day’s lead, before overtaking him with a stunning long-distance birdie putt.
But McIlroy missed from within three feet on the 16th hole and four feet on the 18th hole and completely lost his touch on the greens in the closing stages, giving DeChambeau, playing in the back group, the chance to seal the victory.
“Rory is one of the greatest players of all time,” DeChambeau said. “To play against a great player like him is special. He missed that putt. [on 18]I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Luckily, things went my way.”
The champion himself was not without trouble on the 18th hole, finding rough ground with his tee shot and then getting trapped in a bunker short of the green with his second shot.
But he found the scrambling magic he needed to win the trophy.
As raucous scenes unfolded around the 18th green and the popular American celebrated, a dejected McIlroy watched from the scoring room and then hurried off accompanied by his caddie, Harry Diamond, without speaking to the media.
DeChambeau regains form when it matters most
The last time DeChambeau won the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, it was at a time when he was building his physique and intentionally pushing the boundaries of golf with his ferocious ball-striking and tee-shot distance.
Four years later, he was a more measured, calmer golfer, able to combine powerful strokes with deft touch and calculated approaches on some of the most challenging courses in golf, and he won trophies again.
He already has a tie for fourth at the Masters and second place at the 2024 PGA Championship and is the only player to play the first three rounds of this tournament at or below par.
He led by three strokes going into the final day, but even that lead is never secure in a championship that calls itself “the toughest test in golf.”
Only 65% of players have won with that advantage after 54 holes, and in 2005 Retief Goosen was surpassed on this course by Michael Campbell.
For much of the fourth round, it looked like things were going to be the same for DeChambeau.
Perhaps because he had had to change clubs during pre-round practice, his previously reliable driver shots were no longer effective, often sending the ball flying into the rugged, native grass.
He had just two birdies and three bogeys but was still in the running to win a tense final round.
The course layout meant DeChambeau [McIlroy] That was the case on almost every hole from the 13th onwards.
“I also saw him get a birdie on the 10th hole,” the LIV Golfer said.
“I thought, ‘Oh man, he’s going for it, he’s going for it.’ So I had to put my foot on the pedal and press down pretty hard.
“I heard the chants, ‘Laurie, Laurie.’ It was fun because it told me what I had to do.”
“There was a lot of ‘Go America, Go Europe.’ It was a fun battle between us.”
Given his apparent positive relationship with fans, it seems like an eternity ago when his unique approach to the game drew scorn from golf purists.
When the winning putt dropped, cheers of joy rang out around Pinehurst and he mouthed “can you believe it?” to the television cameras before skipping around the green with his caddie and support team.
After the ceremony, he charged through the crowd of fans lined the 18th fairway, made good on his promise to let them touch the trophy and pose for a photo with it in what will forever be his bunker.
McIlroy stumbles near the finish
Of course, DeChambeau was not in a position to win on the 18th hole.
McIlroy had four birdies in the first 14 holes and then made a stunning 27-foot putt on the 13th hole to open up a two-stroke lead, eliciting chants of “Rory, Rory, Rory” from the crowd.
At that point, he had found the right balance between playing conservative golf on tough courses and going all out when needed.
It also helped that my putting was going well.
Ironically, it was Flatstick who abandoned him when he needed it most.
Before this round, McIlroy had made 496 of 496 putts from within 3 feet this season, but he watched in horror when his ball missed the hole on the 16th hole, resulting in his second consecutive bogey.
If that gave DeChambeau an opportunity, he missed another short shot on the 18th hole and then recovered beautifully from a misfired tee shot before ultimately missing at least a playoff.
McIlroy has come close to winning on numerous occasions, finishing in the top 10 in each of his past five U.S. Opens, and a runner-up medal for the second year in a row would sting after he lost by one stroke to Wyndham Clark at Los Angeles Country Club in 2023.
His next attempt to end his long major tournament drought begins in five weeks at the British Open in Troon, Scotland.
Pinehurst is a tough challenge for the world’s best athletes
The last time the U.S. Open was held at Pinehurst in 2014, only three players finished under par, but Germany’s Martin Kaymer went on to win by eight strokes in an unprecedented victory.
Once again it was a tough test for the world’s best players, with only eight players finishing in the red.
Patrick Cantlay, playing alongside McIlroy, played cautiously as always but didn’t have the excitement to challenge for the lead, while fellow American Tony Finau shot a brilliant three-under 67 in the third round to tie Cantlay at four under.
Sweden’s Ludvig Aberg was dominating the Pinehurst No. 2 after 36 holes but continued to struggle on Saturday, effectively losing the tournament with an early triple bogey to finish one-over with a 73.
Meanwhile, Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood, the only player in history to shoot multiple 63s on the final day of the U.S. Open, continued his strong showing on Sunday, shooting a two-under 68 to finish three-over par and one stroke ahead of compatriot Aaron Lai.
But it was a disappointing result for Tyrrell Hatton, who started the day one under par before shooting a final round of 77 to drop to six over par.
At least he beat world number one Scottie Scheffler, who shot a 2-over 72 to finish 8-over par for the tournament. Scheffler was in the tournament alongside Tom McKibbin of Northern Ireland.
