Bryson DeChambeau Wins Second U.S. Open title to Boost both his and LIV Golf’s Legacy
Dean McHugh (ref) Bryson DeChambeau Wins 2024 U.S. Open, Record $4.3M in Prize Money (sportico.com)
The 2024 U.S. Open was everything a major championship should be.
Dramatic, difficult, and with danger lurking round every corner, the tournament will live long in the memory, and golfing fans from all over the world will hope that it acts as the benchmark for future majors to copy.
Here is a rundown of everything that happened.
Bryson DeChambeau capitalizes on Rory McIlroy’s putting woes to capture second U.S. Open title
Bryson DeChambeau capped off a fantastic year in the majors and won his second U.S. Open crown with a narrow one-stroke victory over Rory McIlroy.
DeChambeau, who headed into the tournament following a sixth-place finish at the Masters and a runner-up effort at the PGA Championship, was one of the week’s leading fancies, and after a couple of steady opening rounds, he took control of the tournament in the third round.
Just as he has done all year, DeChambeau’s brawn from off the tee was overshadowed by his beautiful deft touch on and around the greens, and it all came together magnificently in his third round as he finished three shots clear of his nearest rivals.
Whereas normally, a three-shot lead wouldn’t feel insurmountable, on a set up as tough as Pinehurst, the odds were heavily stacked in DeChambeau’s favor and he headed into round four as the heavy favorite for glory.
However, major titles aren’t easy to win, and the fourth round would take many twists and turns that would keep everyone watching at the course and at home firmly on the edge of their seats.
With DeChambeau having a miserable time off the tee box, most of his time on the front nine was spent scrambling for pars. While he was busy battling, Rory McIlroy was busy gaining ground.
Getting his day off to a lightning start with the putter, by the time McIlroy had departed the 13th green, he had completely flipped the narrative and found himself leading by two strokes with just five holes to play.
It’s been ten years since McIlroy last tasted major success, and after a string of near misses, it looked like his long wait would finally be over. However, with the finish line in sight, the Northern Irishman started to succumb to the pressure.
Flying the 15th green, McIlroy couldn’t get up and down and dropped a shot. While he was fighting to keep it all together, DeChambeau was fighting back. An excellent birdie on the 14th would ensure the two would be tied at the top.
This is when the drama would really start.
First to blink was the American. Faced with a standard four-foot putt for par on the 15th, DeChambeau pulled his putt and handed the initiative straight back to McIlroy.
Ahead on the 16th, McIlroy was left with a two-foot putt for par to keep his one-shot lead intact as he headed to the 17th. The type of putt that pros simply don’t miss. Inexplicably, McIlroy did, and he trudged off the 16th green, knowing that his chance might have been blown.
With the two swapping pars, it would be McIlroy who would head up 18 first. His first error was missing the fairway off the tee. Finding his ball in the sandy waste area, McIlroy was able to shuffle the ball up to the front of the green and left himself with a tricky chip.
Managing to compose himself, McIlroy produced a sumptuous chip and left a slippery three-foot putt to most likely take the tournament into a playoff.
With the miss on 16 still firmly on his mind, McIlroy tentatively prodded his putt towards the hole, but much to his and the watching crowd’s agony, the ball would slide agonizingly past and would ensure that the title would be DeChambeau’s if he was able to secure a par up 18.
Knowing what he had to do, DeChambeau decided to make life as tricky as possible by skewing his drive miles off the fairway.
Finding his ball buried in the waste area, he did a wonderful job of muscling his ball up towards the green but saw his ball disappearing into one of the greenside bunkers.
Still 70 feet away from the hole, DeChambeau knew that an up and down would mean the title would be his, however he had so much work left to do.
Taking his stance in the bunker, DeChambeau would go on to hit one of the best shots of his life and would flop the ball to just within a few feet of the hole.
Knowing that he stood on the cusp of victory, DeChambeau made no mistake with his putt. Taking his time, he rattled the ball into the center of the cup, sparking wild celebrations.
Dechambeau’s victory provides LIV with timely boost
Through the four days of play, DeChambeau deserved to win this title, but it’s fair to say that he wouldn’t have gotten there without a helping hand from McIlroy.
With his second major now in the bag, DeChambeau has secured his legacy and a spot in the majors for the next five years. While his victory is absolutely fantastic for his career, it is also a huge boost for LIV.
Since LIV formed, it has only had one player from its ranks win a major when Brooks Koepka was able to win the 2023 PGA Championship. Through the first two majors of 2024, both have fallen to PGA players, and LIV would have been desperate to get on the board.
Despite the acquisition of Jon Rahm, LIV is still steadily trying to move the needle, but it still has a long way to go to appeal to the wider golfing masses. Needing some good news, DeChambeau’s victory has put LIV firmly back in the limelight, and the shockwaves of his victory could be felt at LIV’s most recent tournament in Nashville.
For the first time in a long time, there was a buzz around LIV, the crowds were big, and the product on offer seemed credible and a nice alternative to those looking to escape from the regular hum-drum of the PGA Tour.
Almost overnight, DeChambeau has become the breakaway tour’s biggest star. If LIV is to make further inroads into the sport, it will need to ensure it rides his coattails for as long as possible.
(ref) 2024 LIV Golf Nashville prize money payouts for each LIV player, team (usatoday.com)
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