Tag: DeChambeaus

U.S. Open: Bryson DeChambeau’s epic par trumped by Johnson Wagner u,s,open,bryson,dechambeau,s,epic,par,trumped,by,johnson,wagner,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-pga-tour,golf-news,liv-golf

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Did Johnson Wagner win the U.S. Open?

He might have.

After Bryson DeChambeau triumphed over Rory McIlroy in epic fashion at Pinehurst No. 2, Wagner, now a Golf Channel legend, decided to re-enact the best shot of the day: DeChambeau’s third from the sand on 18.

During the tournament, DeChambeau faced a 55-yard shot from the bunker, a daunting shot often regarded as the most difficult in professional golf. DeChambeau proceeded to execute it perfectly with a 55-degree wedge, stuffing his approach to four feet. He then made the putt for par, thus clinching his second U.S. Open title.

About two hours later, after DeChambeau paraded around Pinehurst No. 2, embracing all the fans, Wagner picked that shot for his famous demonstration.

Mind you, Wagner has become a golf celebrity in recent months simply because of these short segments. Since The Players Championship in March, Wagner, on live television, has: hummed balls into the side of a hill, roped a punch shot off a tree, climbed into the woods to asses a Xander Schauffele ruling, twice got the yips on air, and then, this week, he walked through why Tony Finau and Ludvig Åberg collapsed on the 13th hole.

But nothing could top what he did on Sunday.

After rocketing an attempt over the green, DeChambeau pulled up to the spot where he played his now-famous shot and embraced Wagner. Then, DeChambeau told Wagner to hit another one, with the champion as a witness. He also provided some insight on how to play the shot.

With a 50-degree wedge in hand, Wagner hit a perfect chunk and run. His ball landed on the green and rolled towards the cup, just as DeChambeau’s did in regulation.

But Wagner’s ball stopped even closer than DeChambeau’s, which elicited a massive celebration from the now-reigning U.S. Open champion and Golf Channel’s newest, and now, biggest star.

Considering Wagner’s trials and tribulations on live television this year, he celebrated this shot with authority. DeChambeau even handed him the trophy, which Wagner jokingly accepted with a big smile on his face.

Live From the U.S. Open has always been the go-to show for golf fans before, during, and after major championships, but Wagner’s presence has made that even more so.

So congratulations on winning the 124th U.S. Open, Johnson Wagner. You deserve it.

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.

U.S. Open: Bryson DeChambeau’s win has fans singing his praises u,s,open,bryson,dechambeau,s,win,has,fans,singing,his,praises,sbnation,com,front-page,golf,us-open-golf,golf-majors,golf-fan-reactions,liv-golf

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Bryson DeChambeau is now a two-time U.S. Open champion as he conquered Pinehurst No. 2 in epic fashion on Sunday.

DeChambeau hit an incredible 55-yard bunker shot that rolled to three feet on the 18th hole. He then made his par putt just like Payne Stewart famously did 25 years ago. That final putt put the finishing touches on a 1-over 71, which had him finishing at 6-under-par, one stroke ahead of Rory McIlroy.

When DeChambeau needed his best, he provided it in the biggest moment. That bunker shot may go down as one of the greatest in golf history, given the difficulty and the circumstances. If he had not executed that shot the way he did, there could have been a playoff, at least.

Nevertheless, the LIV Golf captain won the crowd over this week at Pinehurst.

Chants of USA-USA-USA and De-Cham-beau, De-Cham-beau, De-Cham-beau whistled across the course. The fans loved him, and DeChambeau’s image change seems complete.

After he won, social media messages flourished. Fans praised the two-time U.S. Open winner for his performance on the course and for his remarkable display of talent.

All DeChambeau wants to do is grow golf.

These reactions to his winning the U.S. Open showed he is already achieving that goal:

This video of him running around with the U.S. Open trophy so the crowd could touch it is priceless. He told fans to try and touch it, so DeChambeau attempted to make it happen. Not everyone gets to feel the U.S. Open trophy, but DeChambeau may not have won without this crowd.

Golf influencer Paige Spiranac said it perfectly, “Such amazing golf, drama and entertainment! This is what golf needs.”

This sport needs a personality like DeChambeau.

ESPN’s Jeff Darlington also made a good point about DeChambeau—he is a needle mover. People flock to him and get excited when the LIV Golf star does well.

Even Brooks Koepka congratulated his fellow LIV Golf member.

DeChambeau now has two U.S. Open’s—only the 23rd player in history to achieve this, and he did so dramatically. Better yet, he joins Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods in winning a U.S. Amateur title and multiple U.S. Opens. That’s pretty good company.

The third major of the year did not disappoint, and much like the PGA Championship, DeChambeau continues to show how incredible golf can be.

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.