Bryson DeChambeau Wins the 2024 U.S. Open Over Rory McIlroy

Bryson DeChambeau got up and down from a bunker 55 yards short of the hole on the 451-yard par-4 18th hole to hold off Rory McIlroy by one shot and win the 2024 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2. He called the bunker shot that he hit inside four feet the best shot of his life.

It was an emotional victory for the American, who won on the 25th anniversary of Payne Stewart’s U.S. Open win at Pinehurst No. 2. Stewart inspired DeChambeau to attend SMU for college and wear a flat cap throughout his professional golf career. DeChambeau noted he was thinking about his own father and Stewart all round with today’s final round on Father’s Day.

DeChambeau shot a one-over final-round 71 to finish the tournament at six-under par as he won his second U.S. Open title. Only eight golfers finished under par for the week.

The back nine of the tournament was filled with drama and a rollercoaster of emotion, as two of the most beloved golfers in DeChambeau and McIlroy went toe-to-toe down the stretch.

DeChambeau held a three-shot lead as he entered the round at seven-under with McIlroy, Patrick Cantlay and Matthieu Pavon all three shots back.

After playing the first eight holes at even par, McIlroy surged with birdies on holes 9, 10, 12 and 13 to take a two-shot lead at eight-under par after DeChambeau, playing a group behind, made bogey on the par-4 12th hole. DeChambeau cut the lead to one after driving the green at the par-4 13th hole with less than driver and two-putting for birdie.

Both golfers made bogeys at the 172-yard par-3 15th hole, but McIlroy shockingly missed his first putt of the entire year from inside three feet for par at the 16th hole to drop back into a tie with DeChambeau at six-under par. McIlroy had made his prior 496 putts this season from inside three feet, per PGA Tour Communications.

Both golfers made par at the par-3 17th hole, which left them deadlocked with one hole remaining: the 451-yard par-4 18th hole.

McIlroy missed the fairway left in the sandy area and drew a tough lie with wiregrass ahead of the ball preventing a clean launch after contact. He missed the green short in the fairway just inside of 95 feet away for his third shot.

He hit a quality third which left him three feet and nine inches for par, but despite playing the downhill left-to-right putt outside the hole, it snapped right more than he played as he lipped out and tapped in for bogey.

That meant DeChambeau needed par to win outright or a bogey on 18 to force a playoff (which would have been a two-hole aggregate playoff). However, he missed the fairway well left off the tee in the native area.

His ball drew an unlucky lie with a root left of the ball, grandstands left of his line to the hole (which was why his bid for Temporary Immovable Obstruction relief was denied) and tree limbs that significantly limited the length of his backswing.

He was 147 yards from the hole but could only advance his ball to the bunker 55 yards short right of the pin, where he made his historic up-and-down to clinch his second major championship.

After finishing in solo second at last year’s U.S. Open at Los Angeles Country Club just a single shot behind Wyndham Clark, McIlroy came up just short once again in what may be his most disappointing major result considering his two-shot lead on the back nine and those shocking missed putts inside of four feet over the last three holes.

Despite those missed putts that he may never forget, McIlroy still ranked eighth in the field today in Strokes Gained (SG): Putting, picking up more than 2.2 strokes with his putter today and rolling in over 126 feet of putts.

The Northern Irishman has now finished in the top 10 in each of the last six U.S. Opens and will look to win his first major since the 2014 PGA Championship at next month’s Open Championship at Royal Troon Golf Club.

After DeChambeau won his first major at the 2020 U.S. Open at Winged Foot, where there were nearly no spectators with the championship held during the COVID-19 pandemic, this victory was his first chance to celebrate a major championship with a crowd on hand. He told the fans on the 18th hole following his win that he wanted everyone to have a chance to touch the U.S. Open trophy because of the fans' role in supporting him this week.

He noted that he was thankful for his longer wedges (which are at a six-iron’s length along with all of his other irons) that allowed him to splash his bunker shot farther than otherwise with a shorter lever.

Driving Accuracy was an issue all round for DeChambeau, who hit just five of 14 fairways today. He replaced the driver he used earlier this week with one with fresh curvature on the face, but the new driver had less loft. DeChambeau noted after the round that wasn't ideal and that the driver head with less loft tends to miss right more frequently, and that was the miss he battled most of the day.

Despite missing nine fairways, DeChambeau impressed with his short game, as he was 5-of-7 scrambling today while gaining over 1.3 shots to the field around the greens, which ranked 10th today, as he also finished 10th for the week in SG: Around the Green (ARG).

Overall, it was a quality all-around effort for DeChambeau. He ranked fourth in SG: Off the Tee (including first in Driving Distance), 13th in SG: Approach the Green, 10th in SG: ARG and 12th in SG: Putting.

I noted in my U.S. Open X-Factors article before the week that one of my four key X-Factors was DeChambeau's iron play, which ranked 20th and 22nd in the field at the Masters and PGA Championship, respectively.

After finishing in solo second at last month’s PGA Championship by a shot to Xander Schauffele, DeChambeau noted he was relieved to finally cross the finish line today. He is the only golfer to finish in a tie for sixth or better in all three men’s major championships in 2024.

Finally, DeChambeau joined an elite fraternity as one of just four men in history to win the U.S. Amateur and multiple U.S. Opens, with the others being Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Bobby Jones, per Justin Ray on X.