Bryson DeChambeau won his second U.S. Open title at Pinehurst No.2
American Bryson DeChambeau outlasted World no 2 Rory McIlroy and a handful of other challengers in a thrilling drama on the final day at the US Open on Pinehurst No. 2 – a golf course that tested the skills and nerves of the best players in the world like no other. Millions of fans around the world and a few hundred thousand at the venue got their money’s worth as crowd favourite Bryson emerged in dramatic fashion – at the final hole, he hit one of the greatest shots ever seen in major championship golf to win his second U.S. Open title by a one-stroke margin, shooting a total of 6 under par with rounds of 67-69-67-71 on the par 70 course.
Let’s look at the top storylines from the amazing past week –
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DeChambeau’s bizarre last second driver change & sand save for the win –
Only 20 minutes before his final round tee time, DeChambeau decided to change his driver head – something most players would find unthinkable! He missed several drives to the right and hit only five of 14 fairways, the fewest of any player on Sunday. He only hit five practice drives with the new head before teeing off. “I probably shouldn’t have changed the heads,” he later reflected.
Then, on the 72nd hole, with Rory already in the clubhouse at 5 under, DeChambeau faced a 55-yard sand shot which is commonly considered the most difficult shot in golf for any player. Against all odds, he hit the sand shot to within 4 feet of the pin and made the putt to finish on 6 under for outright victory.
Watch DeChambeau’s historic bunker shot here –
THE BUNKER SHOT OF HIS CAREER! @b_dechambeau has this putt left to win the U.S. Open! pic.twitter.com/Vleb6k6PvO
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 16, 2024
2. DeChambeau thrills the fans –
Before his final round tee off, DeChambeau thrilled the fans going around the gallery and high fiving people – something no other player does at the start of the round, especially when they are leading the US Open by three shots.
When he holed the winning putt – he urged the fans to get louder and they responded.
At the awards ceremony, with the U.S. Open trophy in hand, he turned to the galleries and said on the microphone “Tonight, I want all of you to touch this trophy, I want you to feel what this moment means to me.”
Then carrying the trophy in front of him, DeChambeau moved slowly through the crowd, actually allowing hundreds of fans to touch the trophy – again an unprecedented opportunity for fans at a US Open.
And 2 ½ hours after the presentation was over, Bryson could still be seen signing autographs for fans in the dark, with nothing but phones to light up the evening.
Later, DeChambeau joined Golf Channel analyst Johnson Wagner to recreate the now famous bunker shot on the 18th – again providing entertaining viewing material to fans. Again, something not done by a US Open winner before.
As Bryson says – he is all for growing the game all over the world – getting more fans hooked to golf. He followed up the next morning by appearing on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon” once again carrying his US Open trophy for the audience to touch and feel. Just amazing.
It is no wonder that Bryson has over 1.2 million Instagram followers and a huge army on YouTube. Lessons to be learned in building a fan base for the sport.
- Bhatia, Rai and Theegala register impressive finishes –
That’s the way you close a round!@akshaybhatia_1 (68, T-6) pic.twitter.com/CxVxZdi4qZ
— U.S. Open (@usopengolf) June 13, 2024
With no current Indian representation on the PGA TOUR, Akshay Bhatia and Sahith Theegala, both PGA TOUR winners, along with Aaron Rai, all three with Indian heritage, have stepped up to proudly represent their roots.
Akshay Bhatia shot rounds of 68-71-73-71, finishing tied for 16th at 3-over 283. Sahith Theegala, after a disappointing opening round of 77, rebounded with rounds of 68-72-70, finishing tied for 32nd at 7-over par.
Aaron Rai, another player of Indian origin from England and a two-time winner on the European Tour, carded rounds of 69-74-68-73, finishing tied for 19th at 4-over 284. Rai is currently ranked 70th in the Official World Golf Rankings.
Photo – USGA