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Golf Talk Today: Look Bryson DeChambeau is great for professional golf golf,talk,today,look,bryson,dechambeau,is,great,for,professional,golf,sbnation,com,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-opinions,golf-news

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Welcome to Playing Through’s new morning ritual — Golf Talk Today.

Each morning will feature a Golf Talk Today, where the crew will discuss various elements throughout the PGA Tour, LPGA, LIV Golf, and more.

It’s Championship Sunday at the 124th U.S. Open.

Bryson DeChambeau leads by three shots ahead of the final 18 holes. His 3-under 67 was impressive to watch on Saturday. However, it was not his physical golf game that was the most intriguing; it was how he ultimately won over the crowd. They chanted USA-USA-USA like it was the Ryder Cup throughout his round on Saturday.

He may play for LIV Golf, but the fans love DeChambeau.

So brew a pot of coffee, grab some breakfast, and settle in as we discuss why DeChambeau is excellent for the game of golf.

Bryson DeChambeau’s U.S. Open performance is good for golf

People will likely always love or hate DeChambeau. Many still feel he is the same guy from a few years ago when he won his first U.S. Open in 2020. However, he is not the same guy — physically or mentally.

He brings such excitement to the event. DeChambeau interacts with the crowd. The 30-year-old stopped mid-round and signed a kid’s flag for wearing a flat cap.

DeChambeau has changed his outlook on the fans, and it has shown.

Golf needs a big personality like DeChambeau. His quirky, nerdy, and scientific approach to the game is who he is— it is not a front. Maybe since the casual golf fan only sees him four times a year, it is not as off-putting as it used to be.

Those who follow him know his social media content is personable and fun to watch. He shares his personality and who he is.

DeChambeau has blossomed into this guy that so many want to watch at the majors.

Growing the game is what so many in professional golf want to achieve, and DeChambeau does that.

The USA-USA-USA chants turned off some people on Saturday, but it felt like such a Ryder Cup atmosphere at a major championship. It is special. Love or hate him, the exposure DeChambeau brings to golf is far more important than who he plays for.

ICYMI: Top stories from the U.S. Open

Check out these stories:

U.S. Open Day 3 Winners, Losers: Bryson DeChambeau dominates, can Rory McIlroy win?

Tony Finau, Ludvig Åberg collapse on 13, kiss U.S. Open chances goodbye

Rory McIlroy feeling confident despite Bryson DeChambeau’s sizable U.S. Open lead

Scottie Scheffler’s putter abandons him, goes wrong way on U.S. Open leaderboard

PGA Tour, LIV Golf fans obsess over Cameron Smith’s unconditional polo at U.S. Open=

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

U.S. Open: Rory McIlroy confident despite Bryson DeChambeau’s lead u,s,open,rory,mcilroy,confident,despite,bryson,dechambeau,s,lead,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news,liv-golf

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Rory McIlroy has a 10-year-old monkey on his back, but to shake it off, he will have to overcome a three-shot deficit during the final round of the U.S. Open.

Despite that, McIlroy, who last won a major in 2014, feels confident that he can still find a way to triumph at Pinehurst No. 2.

“I’ve got a great chance going into [Sunday],” McIlroy said after his 1-under 69.

“I love the test that Pinehurst is presenting, and you’ve got to focus and concentrate on every single shot out there. It’s what a U.S. Open should be like. It’s obviously great to be in the mix.”

The biggest obstacle in McIlroy’s path is not the challenging test that Pinehurst presents. Instead, it is Bryson DeChambeau, who shot a 3-under 67 on Saturday. DeChambeau, who is 7-under through 54 holes, is the only player to card three straight rounds in the 60s on this par 70 layout. He pulled away from the contenders on the back nine thanks to his remarkable driving prowess, aggressive iron play, and clutch putting.

Bryson DeChambeau acknowledges the fans on the 18th green.
Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images

Yet, even DeChambeau is not immune to Pinehurst’s diabolical ‘Turtleback’ greens. Look no further than the par-4 16th hole, where DeChambeau’s second shot rolled off the front of the green. His third shot then did the same, which led to an unfortunate double-bogey.

After DeChambeau stumbled, he dropped back to 6-under for the championship, a score that McIlroy briefly sat at, too.

But the Northern Irishman made a slew of poor iron shots down the stretch, which led to a pair of bogeys on the 15th and 17th holes—both par-3s.

“The last few holes are playing very, very difficult,” McIlroy explained.

“Even 17, it’s downwind, but with that pin cut at the front, it’s hard to get that ball close, and even on 18 where that [front] hole location is.”

McIlroy had a chance to salvage his bogies with a closing birdie, but his attempt on the last slid past the hole, leaving him at 4-under for the championship. That put him in the penultimate Sunday pairing with Ryder Cup rival Patrick Cantlay.

“I’m excited about it. It would have been nice to hole that putt at the last, get to 5-under, and break out of that logjam at four. Pros and cons. Pros and cons to being in the last group, and maybe playing one group ahead might not necessarily be a bad thing,” McIlroy reasoned.

“I’m pretty much in the same position I was last year going into the final day at [the Los Angeles Country Club]. So familiar position, been here many times before, and hopefully tomorrow I produce the golf that’s needed to go one better.”

One year ago in Los Angeles, McIlroy entered the final round trailing Wyndham Clark and Rickie Fowler by a stroke at 9-under. Those two comprised the final group, while McIlroy and Scottie Scheffler went off second to last.

Rory McIlroy, U.S. Open

Rory McIlroy hits his tee shot on the 17th hole.
Photo by David Cannon/Getty Images

McIlroy got off to a solid start, birdieing the opening par-5. But that marked his last par-breaker of the day. His bogey at the par-5 14th ultimately sealed his fate, which left him short of another major again. He finished one behind of Clark.

Getting off to a strong start is a must for McIlroy this time around, especially since his deficit is two strokes greater than the one he faced a year ago. Pinehurst No. 2 is also a much more challenging course than the Los Angeles Country Club, which yielded a pair of record-breaking 62s last year. No one has come close to that this week.

But McIlroy believes in himself and his game plan. He still feels he can get the job done despite the adversity he faces.

“I think there’s holes where you have to be aggressive. There are holes where you have to be conservative. There are hole locations that you can take on and hit wedges close to. There are hole locations you’ve got to stay away from,” McIlroy explained.

“It tests your chipping. It tests your putting. It obviously tests your mental fortitude more than any other golf tournament. But it’s a style of golf that I’ve started to try and embrace over these last few years, and it’s the reason that my performances at the U.S. Open have been much improved over the last half a decade.”

Nobody can rival McIlroy’s U.S. Open record since 2019, even though he has not emerged victorious. That, of course, will change if DeChambeau wins Sunday, which would mark his second U.S. Open title in four years. But McIlroy feels confident that he can stop him from doing so. Whether he can get the job done is a different story.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

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Pinehurst No. 2 has once again proven itself worthy of a terrific U.S. Open venue. It has tested the best players in the world, punishing poor shots while rewarding good ones.

Hence, only eight players sit in red figures after 54 holes, with Bryson DeChambeau leading the pace at 7-under. He holds a three-shot lead over Rory McIlroy, Matthieu Pavon, and Patrick Cantlay as he eyes his second major. DeChambeau won the U.S. Open at Winged Foot in September 2020 during the pandemic.

So after another fun day at Pinehurst, here are the winners and losers from North Carolina:

Winners:

Bryson DeChambeau’s Game

Bryson DeChambeau entertained the golf world all day on Saturday. His clutch putts, his 350-yard drives, his spectacular shot from the sand on the 13th hole, and his tremendous approach on the 14th hole all added up to a 3-under 67.

He looks like one of the best golfers in the world, relying on his power and short-game finesse to take a commanding lead going into Sunday. He did stumble on the 16th hole, where he made a double bogey, but that did not phase DeChambeau at all. He bounced back with a birdie on the 17th hole, thanks to an ultra-aggressive line he took off the tee.

But every hole DeChambeau plays is must-watch television, whether he birdies or bogies. He is the most entertaining golfer on the planet, which explains why his popularity has skyrocketed.

Ultimately, if he shoots another round in the 60s on Sunday, the U.S. Open is his.

DeChambeau’s Balls

Bryson DeChambeau apparently puts his golf balls in Epsom salt before every round. A reporter asked him about it after his round, and DeChambeau’s response about his balls is priceless:

“Thanks for the salty balls question. I appreciate that. Yeah, I put my golf balls in Epsom salt. I’m lucky enough that Connor, my manager, does that now. I don’t have to do it. But essentially, we float golf balls in a solution to make sure that the golf ball is not out of balance,” DeChambeau explained.

“There was a big thing back in the day where golf balls are out of balance, and it’s just because of the manufacturing process. There’s always going to be an error, especially when it’s a sphere, and there are dimples on the edges. You can’t perfectly get it in the center. So what I’m doing is finding pretty much the out-of-balanceness of it, how much out of balance it is. Heavy slide floats to the bottom, and then we mark the top with a dot to make sure it’s always rolling over itself.”

To quote CBS Sports reporter Kyle Porter’s mantra, “Normal Sport.”

Can Rory McIlroy do it?

Rory McIlroy’s 10-year major drought has been well documented. But what amazes me about McIlroy, at least this time, is that he is back in the mix for a sixth straight U.S. Open. Despite the outside fray with LIV Golf, his dreams of a world tour, and most importantly, the uneasiness of his family life surrounding a potential divorce, McIlroy still has a chance to win a second U.S. Open title.

Rory McIlroy shakes hands with Tony Finau after their third round at the 2024 U.S. Open.
Photo by Alex Slitz/Getty Images

He shot a 1-under 69 on Saturday despite making two late bogies that stalled his momentum. And yet, anything can happen on this golf course, and McIlroy knows that. He also has plenty of confidence going into round four. Plus, he is hitting his driver better than anyone, so if he can clean up his irons a tad, he should have a shot at the end.

All of this gives McIlroy—and golf fans everywhere—hope, and hope is an amazing drug.

Losers:

Tony Finau and Ludvig Åberg

The 13th hole all but ended their chances, as Tony Finau and Ludvig Åberg made triple bogies on this short par-4.

Each golfer played a game of ‘ping-pong,’ chipping back and forth across the green, which took them out of contention. Even if each player walked away with a bogey, they would still have an outside shot at winning their first major title on Sunday. But a triple bogey is too damaging of a score to overcome. Finau now sits six shots back of Dechambeau while Åberg, the 36-hole leader, is now five.

Because of this, Johnson Wagner of the Golf Channel analyzed this hole on ‘Live From the U.S. Open’ after the round:

Scottie Scheffler

Scottie Scheffler played much better on Saturday.

But his third round was a day filled with ‘What-ifs?’ Those question marks mainly stemmed from his putter, as Scheffler could not get a putt to drop all day. He gave himself plenty of chances to climb the leaderboard, but his flat stick kept him at bay. As such, the World No. 1 settled for a 1-over 71, but he could have easily shot a score in the mid-60s.

Scottie Scheffler, U.S. Open

Scottie Scheffler during the third round.
Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images

Pace of Play

My god. The final two groups played at a snail’s pace, with Patrick Cantlay and Bryson DeChambeau as the main culprits. Cantlay is notoriously slow and has been for quite some time. Just ask Brooks Koepka.

Similarly, DeChambeau, who needed to get stretched out on the 11th hole, loves to take his time. Given his scientific and mathematical approach to the game, DeChambeau has to dissect every single shot he plays, even putts from inside of 18 inches.

As such, the United States Golf Association (USGA) should have levied a penalty. They supposedly provided a warning to DeChambeau and Åberg, who, for what it’s worth, flies around a golf course, but a steeper penalty should have been assessed. Pace of play is a problem, especially considering that DeChambeau’s group—the final pairing—finished nearly 45 minutes after McIlroy’s, who played in the third to last group.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

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Bryson DeChambeau stayed patient during the U.S. Open on Saturday, which eventually paid off for him down the stretch. He wound up firing his third straight round in the 60s, carding a third round 3-under 67. That score gives him a three-shot lead at 7-under for the championship.

He picked up an impressive 3.13 strokes with his putter, which ranks fourth during the third round. DeChambeau needed only 25 putts during round three, as he leads the field with 1.46 putts per green.

“Made a lot of great putts today. I’ll tell you that,” DeChambeau said.

“Pleased with how I struck it for the most part. Tomorrow it’s the same quote I’ve said all week—trying to have boring golf. Middle of the greens never moves, so I am going to try and hit a lot of the greens, give myself some good looks on some holes and two-putt a lot.”

He made three crucial par saves to open his round and keep pace with his fellow contenders. A bogey on the 4th dropped a shot, but it did not last, as he got it back on the par-5 5th. Another birdie followed at the 7th.

Then, during a stretch in which he made back-to-back birdies on the 10th and 11th holes, DeChambeau began to battle hip tightness. That did not stop him. His lead extended to four at the par-4 14th when he sank his fifth birdie of the day.

Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images

However, a double bogey on the par-4 16th diminished the lead to two. That hiccup did not phase him as he made his sixth birdie on the day at the par-3 17 to head into Sunday with a three-shot advantage.

The crowds showed up all day for the Grapevine, Texas, resident. Like the PGA Championship, the fans could not get enough of him.

Fans chanted USA-USA-USA from DeChambeau’s opening tee shot until he walked off the course. Not to mention his hilarious “Don’t boo me, I’m sorry” comment to the crowd on 13 when he did not choose to hit driver.

Throughout the day, he spoke to fans, signed autographs and enjoyed the crowds.

“It gives me a spike in my adrenaline and allows me to focus more on delivering for the fans, myself and my family. It inspires me,” DeChambeau said.

It is massive for the fans to get behind him as a LIV Golf player. He was not a fan favorite when he played on the PGA Tour. Some liked him, and many did not.

However, things changed when he began showing off his personality through his social media and YouTube Channels. More people saw who he truly was, and for the past two major championships, the fans have gravitated toward him.

“It’s meant a lot to me. Just thinking back three years ago, the landscape was a lot different,” DeChambeau said. “I tried to show everybody who I was. I didn’t do it the right way and could have done a lot of things better.”

“I’m lucky enough to have a great team around me to help me move in the right direction with the content we’re producing, social media, and a great perspective on life. That combination of things has allowed me to not only have a new perspective but an opportunity to show myself in a different light and entertain the fans out there.”

DeChambeau has a new outlook on life, where he chooses to focus on the positive things. So far, this has grown his brand massively, especially in the majors.

He is 18 holes away from winning his second U.S. Open in four years.

DeChambeau will play alongside Frenchman Matthieu Pavon in the final group of the day. They tee off at 2:21 p.m. ET.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

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During the third round of the U.S. Open, on the 9th hole, Jim “Bones” Mackay, the on-course reporter for NBC Sports, noted that Bryson DeChambeau had requested the presence of his “physio.”

DeChambeau’s right hip was bothering him, yet he continued to pound drive after drive, many of which went beyond 350 yards.

Despite that, after making a birdie on the par-5 10th, DeChambeau marched over to the 11th tee and received treatment from a doctor. NBC Sports caught the moment from their drone up above as DeChambeau requested the network’s on-ground camera crew to stay away.

The footage immediately went viral online.

After getting his hip stretched out, DeChambeau pounded a 359-yard drive right down the middle of the fairway. He then stuck his approach to 13 feet and drained the putt for birdie to get to 7-under, the first player to do so this week.

Yet, he supposedly has a bad hip, which caused him some discomfort on Saturday morning, per Todd Lewis of the Golf Channel.

Lewis also reported that DeChambeau can have two five-minute treatment sessions within a round. The first, obviously, took place on the 11th, leaving him with one more opportunity to stretch out during the final six holes.

But the 2020 U.S. Open champion looks dialed in midway through the third round. After bogeying the fourth hole to drop back to 3-under, DeChambeau made three birdies to soar into the lead by himself.

It remains to be seen what the issue is exactly, and nobody will know how he really feels until after his third round is completed.

Nevertheless, DeChambeau, who never fails to produce captivating content, produced another viral moment during Saturday’s third round at Pinehurst No. 2.

Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough for more golf coverage. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko as well.

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Bryson DeChambeau carded a 1-under 69 Friday at the 124th U.S. Open. It marks his second straight sub-70 score, an impressive feat at treacherous Pinehurst No. 2.

Coincidentally, he posted back-to-back rounds in the 60s to open up the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, where he won in 2020. Will history repeat itself?

Nevertheless, Friday’s second round challenged DeChambeau more so than on day one. He tallied five birdies and four bogeys. However, he ended it on a high note with a birdie on the 18th to shoot under par for the day.

This 1-under round puts him at 4-under for the championship, as he walked off the golf course trailing the leaders by a stroke.

“All in all, I was very happy with how I stayed patient, gave myself good opportunities when they mattered, and I made a lot of clutch putts coming in,” DeChambeau said.

Thursday saw him gain strokes off the tee, but on Friday, he lost a smidge to the field, losing 0.08. He only hit 7-of-14 fairways and 9-of-17 greens.

DeChambeau picked up those strokes on the green, though. In strokes gained putting, he picked up 2.29 on the field, a stark improvement from losing 0.33 on Thursday.

“This golf course is not going to be the same come tomorrow and the next day, and I’m expecting that,” he said.

“Us competitors, players, have to adjust to those conditions accordingly. I’m excited about the game that I have right now. I feel pretty confident and ready to get after it this weekend.”

This week also marks the 25th anniversary of Payne Stewart’s U.S. Open victory in 1999. The golf legend happened to be someone DeChambeau idolized growing up.

Stewart is a big reason why DeChambeau went to SMU and wore the scally cap for a while. On a recruiting trip to SMU, he saw Stewart’s mural at the golf center, which made the decision easy for him.

DeChambeau does not wear the flat cap as much anymore, but this week, he brought it to honor Stewart.

“I wore the hat as a bit of a tribute to Payne and Ben Hogan,” DeChambeau said.

“Growing up, I was a big Ben Hogan fanatic. Knowing what Payne meant to the game of golf, I am also a Payne Stewart fan. He’s meant a lot to me in the game.

“My first [PGA Tour] win was his first win—the John Deere Classic. It was a different tournament back then, but it meant a lot to me to win there. We have the cap on my bag this week as a remembrance of him. The cap is hanging on the side of the bag and it’s with me and makes me think of him every time I’m walking on these grounds.”

Stewart won the first U.S. Open at Pinehurst in 1999 but would tragically die in a plane crash just four months later. The resort has a statue of Stewart’s iconic celebration that fans can see as they enter the main entrance this week.

After 36 holes, DeChambeau is in the hunt and will need a solid weekend to win his second U.S. Open. He has proven to be one of the most consistent players in the field, which will help tremendously as Pinehurst only gets more complicated.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, be sure to follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.

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Bryson DeChambeau shot an impressive 3-under 67 to begin the 124th U.S. Open. He is one of 15 players who shot under par on Thursday, but that did not stop him from being completely authentic after his round.

Only DeChambeau could pick an immaculate adjective like this when discussing Pinehurst No. 2:

“It’s really diabolical out there,” DeChambeau said.

“Those greens, oh, my gosh, they can get away from you.”

It was a solid day for DeChambeau, who made four birdies and a bogey on his 16th hole, the par-4 7th.

DeChambeau leads the field in strokes gained off the tee, gaining 2.85 on the field. He is also eighth in strokes gained around the greens, picking up 2.17 on his fellow competitors.

In all, the 2020 U.S. Open champion hit 15-of-18 greens and 12-of-14 fairways.

He is right in the mix and just two shots behind leaders Rory McIlroy and Patrick Cantlay.

A birdie on 13 got his day started, but his momentum surged when he chipped in for a birdie on the 18th, his ninth hole.

His last two birdies came at the 3rd and 4th—both par-4s—before a mistake at 7 cost him his bogey-free round. He seemed pleased with his performance, but it was not a leisurely day on the course.

“I would say from a mental exhaustion perspective, this was probably the most difficult that I’ve had in a long, long, long time,” he said.

“I can’t remember the last time I mentally exerted myself that hard to focus on hitting fatter parts of the green instead of going for flags. I did that quite nicely until the last few holes.”

He knows how to recoup for Friday’s round, though, mentally and physically.

“Eat a lot. Get a lot of carbs and food in me, good protein, just recover tonight,” DeChambeau said of what he needs to do to prepare for round two.

“I have to get up early and go back at it in the morning. Recovery is going to be key. I’m going to go hit a couple of balls and make sure it’s all dialed in and ready for tomorrow. I do a lot of breathing techniques. It’s almost like nature now. So, I’ve got my techniques that I work on. Make sure my brain is in a good spot, get some good treatment, and really focus on the positives of the day.”

Everyone in the field seems to have some kind of strategy this week—breathing techniques are just one part of DeChambeau’s unique approach to the game.

But the LIV golf star’s recuperation period will be short as he, Viktor Hovland, and Max Homa will begin their second rounds on Friday at 7:40 a.m. ET.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.