PINEHURST, N.C. — Bryson DeChambeau stands atop the golf world once again, winning the 124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2 and capturing his second major championship on Sunday. DeChambeau outlasted Rory McIlroy, who suffered yet another major championship heartbreak.

It was DeChambeau’s second U.S. Open triumph.

“I wanted to get this one done, especially at such a special place that means so much to me, SMU, my dad, what Payne [Stewart] meant to him, 1000th USGA championship. Stack them on top,” said DeChambeau, who shot a final-round 71 to finish at 6-under-par 274 for the tournament, one better than McIlroy. “It’s a dream come true.”

Twenty-five years after Stewart’s memorable victory at Pinehurst, Dechambeau had to make par on the 72nd hole to take home the win. After pulling his drive left into the native area and underneath a tree, he had to punch out into the right fairway bunker. With a 55-yard bunker shot [a golfer’s worst nightmare] to a back pin location, DeChambeau hit what he called the best shot of his life, knocking it to four feet and sinking the putt for the win.

DeChambeau, the 2020 U.S. Open winner at Winged Foot, withstood a charging McIlroy, who started the day with three shots off the lead and took the lead on the 12th hole after a stretch of four birdies in five holes. McIlroy would bogey three of his last four holes, including missing two three-foot putts on the 16th and 18th holes for par to continue his 10-year-long major drought.

The roars of the patrons all round propelled Rory and Bryson in a final-round showdown that will go down in history.

“Those fans out there really helped push me out there today. Even when stuff wasn’t going well, I’m just looking on the screen back there, I have nothing there, no business even trying to go for that. But you know me; I don’t play boring golf,” DeChambeau said. “Again, even though I hit it in the bunker, the fans are still chanting my name. So inspired me to get that one up-and-down.”

The Amateur Champion

Neal Shipley captured the title of lowest amateur at this year’s U.S. Open. Shipley became the first amateur to win the title of low-am at both The Masters and the U.S. Open since Viktor Hovland accomplished it in 2019.

“It’s been wild,” said Shipley, who plays collegiately at Ohio State. “It’s been something that maybe three, four years ago I didn’t think was possible, and to accomplish all this has just been phenomenal. Just the stuff of dreams, really, as an amateur, to do everything I’ve done. I think I’ve checked all the boxes now.”

Coming into the final round, the two lowest amateurs in the field, Shipley and Florida State’s Luke Clanton, were tied at 4-over par for the week, and the duo played together in a match play-type situation in the final round to see who would take home the title of low-am.

After going back and forth all round, the two were knotted at 6-over par, heading to the difficult 16th hole. After a 331-yard drive, Shipley striped a 209-yard iron shot, stuck it to 5 feet, and sank the birdie putt. 

Clanton entered the final hole down by one stroke to Shipley, and with his second shot from the right native area, Clanton nearly set the 18th hole grandstands into a frenzy with a near eagle hole out. He would go on to miss the birdie putt, sealing Shipley’s fate as low-am medalist.

“I played good golf,” Clanton said. “Congrats to Neal Shipley on a great week again and for going low-am Masters and low-am here. It’s awesome to see.”

Clanton and Shipley were among 16 amateurs in the field, of which only three made the cut. Another college golfer, UF sophomore Parker Bell, missed the cut by two strokes, shooting 7-over par for the week.

Gators in the Field

After Bell was cut, Billy Horschel was the only Gator left in the field. Horschel entered the final round at 4-over par for the tournament and had a rough Sunday at Pinehurst. Horschel shot a front-nine 5-over-par 40 and never recovered, ending the day with a 4-over-par round iof 74. Horschel finished in T41 at 8-over  for the championship.

Big Movers

Three players shot rounds of 3-under-par 67 today, moving all of them into the Top 10.

Tony Finau began the day inside the Top 10 and finished the tournament in T3 with Patrick Cantlay, matching his best result in a major championship.

“I was really proud of the way I hung in there all week, especially the way I played today,” Finau said. “I thought that back nine was awesome. To finish out my front nine, yeah, I was proud of the way I fought.”

Sam Burns played his way into the Top 10 with his round, finishing T9. Burns began the day at 3 over par and played bogey-free golf all of the way into the clubhouse to achieve his highest finish in a major championship in his career.

“Yeah, I enjoyed playing this golf course. I thought it was an extremely fair setup. Obviously, it’s extremely difficult. But it’s right there in front of you,” Burns said. “But yeah, it was a solid week.”

Russell Henley also played his way into the Top 10 with his round today, finishing in T7 with PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele. A bogey on the 72nd hole cost him a T6 finish with Hideki Matsuyama. This is Henley’s second-best result in a major behind his T4 in the 2023 Masters.

“I putted great. I had a lot of great par saves,” Henley said. “I just felt like my chipping was really good on the back nine. Made some good 15-, 20- foot birdie putts. Made a lot of putts inside 10 feet. Really happy.”

Posted: June 16, 2024
Category: Covering the U.S. Open
Tagged as: 2024 U.S. Open, Covering the U.S. Open