Bryson DeChambeau parred the final three holes to complete a 1-over-par 71, and that was enough for a one-shot victory at the U.S. Open on Sunday in Pinehurst, N.C., winning the championship for the second time in five years.
DeChambeau, who began the day with a three-shot lead, finished at 6-under 274, benefitting from Rory McIlroy’s late putting failures.
McIlroy, who gained the lead on the back side, bogeyed the last hole by missing a par putt from about 4 feet. Then DeChambeau, playing in the last group, clinched it with a par putt after blasting out of a greenside bunker on his third shot.
DeChambeau became the second former Southern Methodist University golfer to win a U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, with this title coming 25 years after Payne Stewart’s memorable championship.
McIlroy’s 69 was tainted by bogeys on three of the last four holes, and he finished as the U.S. Open runner-up for the second year in a row. McIlroy, who won the 2011 U.S. Open, was trying to secure his fifth major championship and his first since 2014.
McIlroy drew even at 6 under with birdies on Nos. 9 and 10. McIlroy birdied at No. 12 and, in the following group, DeChambeau bogeyed as the Northern Irishman jumped into the lead.
DeChambeau drove the green on the par-4 13th but left an eagle putt short. It was tied again after McIlroy’s tee shot at the par-3 No. 15 was long and he failed to get up and down.
Ten years ago at Pinehurst No. 2, McIlroy tied for 23rd at 6 over, but his improvement from that outing won’t be much of a consolation.
Tony Finau (67) and Patrick Cantlay (70) tied for third place at 4 under, France’s Matthieu Pavon (71) claimed fifth at 3 under and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama (70) was sixth at 2 under.
Only eight golfers finished under par for the week.
World No. 1 Scottie Scheffler never got untracked, shooting 72 in the final round and tying for 41st place at 8 over. Just like the second round, he had no birdies in his final 18-hole tour around the course.
“I feel like I did some good things this week, but overall I definitely need to do some things better,” Scheffler said.
Neal Shipley, who posted 72 on Sunday, was the low amateur at 6 over. The 2022 Pennsylvania State Amateur champion, a native of Pittsburgh, played three years of college golf for James Madison before a two-year stint that ended this spring at Ohio State.
–Field Level Media